Development of a Novel CD8 T Cell-Associated Signature for Prognostic Assessment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Overview

Journal Cancer Control

Specialty Oncology

Date 2024 Aug 17

PMID 39152700

Authors

Xuezhi Li

Xiaodong Qu

Songbo Li

Kexin Lin

Nuo Yao

Na Wang

Yongquan Shi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical significance and prognostic value of CD8 T cell-related regulatory genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: This was a retrospective study. We combined TCGA-LIHC and single-cell RNA sequencing data for Lasso-Cox regression analysis to screen for CD8 T cell-associated genes to construct a novel signature. The expression of the signature genes was detected at cellular and tissue levels using qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and tissue microarrays. The CIBERSORT algorithm was then used to assess the immune microenvironmental differences between the different risk groups and a drug sensitivity analysis was performed to screen for potential HCC therapeutic agents.

Results: An 8-gene CD8 + T cell-associated signature (FABP5, GZMH, ANXA2, KLRB1, CD7, IL7R, BATF, and RGS2) was constructed. Survival analysis showed that high-risk patients had a poorer prognosis in all cohorts. Tumor immune microenvironment analysis revealed 22 immune cell types that differed significantly between patients in different risk groups, with patients in the low-risk group having an immune system that was more active in terms of immune function. Patients in the high-risk group were more prone to immune escape and had a poorer response to immunotherapy, and AZD7762 was screened as the most sensitive drug in the high-risk group. Finally, preliminary experiments have shown that BATF has a promoting effect on the proliferation, migration and invasion of HuH-7 cells.

Conclusions: The CD8 T-cell-associated signature is expected to be a tool for optimizing individual patient decision-making and monitoring protocols, and to provide new ideas for treatment and prognostic assessment of HCC.

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