Identification of Subtypes Associated with Pyroptosis and Immune Cell Death, Prediction using Prognostic Models, and Analysis of Tumor Microenvironment in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: Pyroptosis and immunogenic cell death (ICD) are two pathways of programmed cell death (PCD). The role of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) and immunogenic cell death-related genes (ICDGs) in the alteration of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear to date. Method: We used the consensus clustering analysis for the classification of subtypes from TCGA datasets.Regression analysis was performed to identify the significant genes. We analyzed the infiltration of immune cells in each patient's TME. Finally, a Nomogram model was constructed, which was related to the clinical phenotype of the patients. Result: In the consensus clustering, HNSCC patients were divided into different subtypes according to the expression levels of PRGs and ICDGs. The risk score was obtained based on 19 risk genes, and the patients were divided into a high-risk group and a low-risk group. The low-risk group was observed to be strongly associated with better survival. The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed the risk scores of pyroptosis and ICD as independent prognostic indicators. Conclusion: It is important to type HNSCC according to PRGs and ICDGs, to develop effective treatment strategies for HNSCC.