Immune-Related Genes: Potential Prognostic Factors and Regulatory Targets for Cervical Carcinoma

Abstract

Background. Advanced cervical carcinoma carries a particularly poor prognosis, and few treatment options exist. It is very important to find a method to evaluate the prognosis and survival rate of cervical carcinoma. The metastasis and invasion of cervical carcinoma are closely related to tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), and immune related genes (IRGs) are involved in the regulation of TIME. However, the role of IRGs in the prognosis of patients with cervical carcinoma remains unclear. Methods. The gene expression profiles of cervical carcinoma were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and IRG information were obtained from the ImmPort database. The IRGs were screened by coexpression analysis and were also performed function enrichment and pathway analyses. A prognosis model was built based on IRGs, and the risk score (RS) was calculated by Cox regression analysis. The accuracy was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Besides, the relationship between RS and TIMER-generating immune cell content was performed by immune infiltration analysis. Results. In a total of 2503 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 204 genes were IRGs, 20 of which were crucially correlated with the survival rate of cervical carcinoma. On the basis of Cox regression analysis, 6 IRGs were included in the prognosis model to calculate the RS. Kaplan-Meier survival and ROC analyses showed that the prognostic function of the model was superior to the current model constructed by clinicopathological risk factors. In addition, these 6 IRG signatures were related to the immune infiltration levels of six immune cells and the overall survival (OS) of cervical carcinoma. Finally, C-terminal Src kinase (CSK) gene is related to tumor metastasis, and Slit guidance ligand 2 (Slit2) is related to tumor clinical stage. Conclusion. The IRGs may contribute to the stratification of prognosis, and CSK/Slit2 may be two suppressor genes for cervical carcinoma.