A Novel Prognostic Signature Based on Ferroptosis-Related Genes Predicts the Prognosis of Patients With Advanced Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma

Abstract

Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma (BLCA) is the major subtype of bladder cancer, and the prognosis prediction of BLCA is difficult. Ferroptosis is a newly discovered iron-dependent cell death pathway. However, the clinical value of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) on the prediction of BLCA prognosis is still uncertain. In this study, we aimed to construct a novel prognostic signature to improve the prognosis prediction of advanced BLCA based on FRGs. In the TCGA cohort, we identified 23 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with overall survival (OS) via univariate Cox analysis (all P < 0.05). 8 optimal DEGs were finally screened to generate the prognostic risk signature through LASSO regression analysis. Patients were divided into two risk groups based on the median risk score. Survival analyses revealed that the OS rate in the high-risk group was significantly lower than that in the low-risk group. Moreover, the risk score was determined as an independent predictor of OS by the multivariate Cox regression analysis (Hazard ratio > 1, 95% CI = 1.724-2.943, P < 0.05). Many potential ferroptosis-related pathways were identified in the enrichment analysis in BLCA. With the aid of an external FAHWMU cohort (n = 180), the clinical predication value of the signature was further verified. In conclusion, the prognosis of advanced BLCA could be accurately predicted by this novel FRG-signature.