Prognostic signature for hepatocellular carcinoma based on 4 pyroptosis-related genes
Sainan Duan, Jianying Gao, Weiming Lou, Yize Zhang, Ying Deng, Cong Wang, Haiyue Huang, Hui Xu, Sixuan Guo, Shuhui Lai, Feiyang Xi, Zhangwang Li, Libin Deng, Yuanbin Zhong
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a cancer with a poor prognosis. Many recent studies have suggested that pyroptosis is important in tumour progression. However, the role of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) in HCC remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified differentially expressed PRGs in tumours versus normal tissues. Through univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression analyses, a prognostic PRG signature was established. The signature effectiveness was evaluated by time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (t-ROC) curve and Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival analysis. The signature was validated in the ICGC (LIRI-JP) cohort. In addition, single-sample gene enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) showed the infiltration of major immune cell types and the activity of common immune pathways in different subgroups. RESULTS: Twenty-nine pyroptosis-related DEGs from The Cancer Genome Atlas-Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) dataset were detected, and four genes (CTSV, CXCL8, MKI67 and PRF1) among them were selected to construct a prognostic signature. Then, the patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups. The pyroptosis-related signature was significantly associated with overall survival (OS). In addition, the patients in the high-risk group had lower levels of immune infiltration. CONCLUSION: The prognostic signature for HCC based on 4 pyroptosis-related genes has reliable prognostic and predictive value for HCC patients.