Long Non-Coding RNAs Related to N6-Methyladenosine and Immune Cell Infiltration in Cervical Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the effect of N6-methyladenoxin (m6A-lncRNAs) on the prognosis of cervical cancer (CC). Method: The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset was used to comprehensively analyze the prognostic value of m6A-lncRNAs in cervical carcinoma (CC) and their relationship to tumor microenvironment. These data were then used to generate a prognostic model by LASSO regression. Finally, all prognosis-related m6A-lncRNAs were validated in HeLa cells. Results: A total of 87 m6A-lncRNAs were found to be significantly associated with the overall survival of patients with CC. Two subtypes were isolated by clustering the 87 prognostic m6A-lncRNAs. Cluster 1 performed better in terms of patient survival than cluster 2. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis of CC using gene set enrichment analysis revealed that the ADHESION_JUNCTION pathway was the most active in Cluster 1, while the OXIDATIVE_PHOSPHORYLATION pathway showed higher activity in Cluster 2. The clinical correlation heatmap and boxplot showed differences in age, tumor grade, immune characteristics, and clustering. Thirteen prognosis-related m6A-lncRNAs were identified by LASSO regression, and of these, LINC006 and NNT-AS1 were finally validated through in vitro studies. Conclusion: Prognostic m6A-lncRNA markers could be an important mediator of the immune microenvironment of CC and a potential target for immunotherapy.