scholarly journals Identification of Prognostic Biomarkers of Potential Hub Genes in Urothelial Carcinoma and Function in Microenvironment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Chu ◽  
Bing Zhang ◽  
Haifeng Gong ◽  
Qianqian Zhao ◽  
Jun Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Hub Genes ◽  
Database Analysis ◽  
Normal Tissues ◽  
Clinical Benefits ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
And Function

Abstract Background: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the most common histological type of urinary system. In the past decades, despite the advances in UC diagnosis and therapy, there are still challenges to improve the overall survival (OS) of UC patients. PD-L1 inhibitor and PD-1 inhibitor have been approved for treating invasive UC, however, only about 20% of patients with metastatic UC show clinical benefits from immune checkpoint inhibitors. Therefor, bioinformatics tools were utilized to screen prognostic-related biomarkers, and analyze their relationship with immunocyte in UC, hoping to provide new ideas for the clinical treatment of UC patients.Results: In total, 63 DEGs were identified from the GEO database of UC, of which 31 and 32 were up-and down-regulated. GO/KEGG pathway analysis identified DEGs were mainly enriched in the collagen catabolic process, extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, ECM structural constituent and ECM-receptor interaction. Nine hub genes (i.e. COL1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1, COL5A2, MMP9, POSTN, SPP1, VCAN and THBS2) upregulated in invasive UC compared with superficial UC were identified. cBioportal database analysis showed that 35% of UC patients presented genetic variants in the hub genes, of which amplification and deletion mutations were the most common. ONCOMINE and UALCAN database analysis showed that the mRNA expression of all hub genes in invasive UC was significantly higher than that in superficial UC and normal tissues. HPA database analysis showed that there was up-regulation of COL3A1, SPP1, POSTN and VCAN protein in UC tissues than in normal tissues. GEPIA showed that COL1A2, COL3A1, THBS2, and VCAN were positively correlated with the OS rate among patients with UC (P < 0.05). UALCAN showed that UC patients with high expression of COL1A1, COL1A2, COL5A2 and POSTN had a poorer prognosis (P < 0.05). TRRUST database analysis indicated that there was a significant correlation between the expression of the hub genes and the infiltration of CD4+T cells, CD8+T cells, macrophages, neutrophils and dendritic cells. Conclusion: Hub genes played important roles in pathogenesis and treatment prognosis of UC and they can provides new biomolecular predictions for immunotherapy and prognosis judgment of UC.

scholarly journals Identification of Prognostic Biomarkers of Potential Hub Genes in Urothelial Carcinoma and Function in Microenvironment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Chu ◽  
Bing Zhang ◽  
Haifeng Gong ◽  
Qianqian Zhao ◽  
Jun Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Gene Expression Profiles ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Hub Genes ◽  
Database Analysis ◽  
Normal Tissues

Abstract Background: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the most common histological type of urinary system. In the past decades, despite the advances in UC diagnosis and therapy, there are still challenges to improve the overall survival (OS) of UC patients. PD-L1 inhibitor and PD-1 inhibitor have been approved for treating invasive UC, however, only about 20% of patients with metastatic UC show clinical benefits from immune checkpoint inhibitors. Therefor, bioinformatics tools were utilized to screen prognostic-related biomarkers, and analyze their relationship with immunocyte in UC, hoping to provide new ideas for the clinical treatment of UC patients.Methods: Three gene expression profiles (i.e. GSE32548, GSE32894 and GSE48075) were selected from GEO, and divide them into invasive and superficial UC group for study. NetworkAnalyst tool was used to construct gene regulatory network of DEGs, while DAVID and Metascape were utilized to perform GO/KEGG enrichment analysis of DEGs. The hub genes were screened by STRING and cytoscape, and the ONCOMINE, GEPIA, UALCAN, cBioPortal and HPA databases were used to analyze the expression differences at the DNA, RNA, protein levels and prognostic of UC. TIMER was used to analyze the relationship between hub genes and immunocyte infiltration.Results: In total, 63 DEGs were identified from the GEO database of UC, of which 31 and 32 were up-and down-regulated. GO/KEGG pathway analysis identified DEGs were mainly enriched in the collagen catabolic process, extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, ECM structural constituent and ECM-receptor interaction. Nine hub genes (i.e. COL1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1, COL5A2, MMP9, POSTN, SPP1, VCAN and THBS2) upregulated in invasive UC compared with superficial UC were identified. cBioportal database analysis showed that 35% of UC patients presented genetic variants in the hub genes, of which amplification and deletion mutations were the most common. ONCOMINE and UALCAN database analysis showed that the mRNA expression of all hub genes in invasive UC was significantly higher than that in superficial UC and normal tissues. HPA database analysis showed that there was up-regulation of COL3A1, SPP1, POSTN and VCAN protein in UC tissues than in normal tissues. GEPIA showed that COL1A2, COL3A1, THBS2, and VCAN were positively correlated with the OS rate among patients with UC (P < 0.05). UALCAN showed that UC patients with high expression of COL1A1, COL1A2, COL5A2 and POSTN had a poorer prognosis (P < 0.05). TRRUST database analysis indicated that there was a significant correlation between the expression of the hub genes and the infiltration of CD4+T cells, CD8+T cells, macrophages, neutrophils and dendritic cells. Conclusion: Hub genes played important roles in pathogenesis and treatment prognosis of UC and they can provides new biomolecular predictions for immunotherapy and prognosis judgment of UC.

scholarly journals Identification of Prognostic Biomarkers of Potential Hub Genes in Urothelial Carcinoma and Function in Microenvironment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Chu ◽  
Bing Zhang ◽  
Haifeng Gong ◽  
Qianqian Zhao ◽  
Jun Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Hub Genes ◽  
Database Analysis ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Normal Tissues

Abstract Background Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the most common histological type of urinary system. In the past decades, despite the advances in UC diagnosis and therapy, there are still challenges to improve the overall survival (OS) of UC patients. PD-L1 inhibitor and PD-1 inhibitor have been approved for treating invasive UC, however, only about 20% of patients with metastatic UC show clinical benefits from immune checkpoint inhibitors. Therefor, bioinformatics tools were utilized to screen prognostic-related biomarkers, and analyze their relationship with immunocyte in UC, hoping to provide new ideas for the clinical treatment of UC patients.Methods Three gene expression profiles (i.e. GSE32548, GSE32894 and GSE48075) were selected from GEO, and divide them into invasive and superficial UC group for study. NetworkAnalyst tool was used to construct gene regulatory network of DEGs, while DAVID and Metascape were utilized to perform gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis of DEGs. The hub genes were screened by STRING and cytoscape, and the ONCOMINE, GEPIA, UALCAN, cBioPortal and HPA databases were used to analyze the expression differences and survival curves of UC at the DNA, RNA, protein levels and protein levels. TIMER was used to analyze the relationship between hub genes and immunocyte infiltration.Results In total, 63 DEGs were identified from the GEO database of UC, of which 31 and 32 were up-and down-regulated. GO/KEGG pathway analysis identified DEGs were mainly enriched in the collagen catabolic process, extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, ECM structural constituent and ECM-receptor interaction. Nine hub genes (i.e. COL1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1, COL5A2, MMP9, POSTN, SPP1, VCAN and THBS2) upregulated in invasive UC compared with superficial UC were identified. cBioportal database analysis showed that 35% of UC patients presented genetic variants in the hub genes, of which amplification and deletion mutations were the most common. ONCOMINE and UALCAN database analysis showed that the mRNA expression of all hub genes in invasive UC was significantly higher than that in superficial UC and normal tissues. HPA database analysis showed that there was up-regulation of COL3A1, SPP1, POSTN and VCAN protein in UC tissues than in normal tissues. GEPIA showed that COL1A2, COL3A1, THBS2, and VCAN were positively correlated with the OS rate among patients with UC (P < 0.05). UALCAN showed that UC patients with high expression of COL1A1, COL1A2, COL5A2 and POSTN had a poorer prognosis (P < 0.05). TRRUST database analysis indicated that there was a significant correlation between the expression of the hub genes and the infiltration of CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, macrophages, neutrophils and dendritic cells.Conclusion Hub genes played important roles in pathogenesis and treatment prognosis of UC. Hub genes analysis provides new predictive biomolecules for UC immunotherapy and prognosis judgment.

Identification of immune-related biomarkers associated with tumorigenesis and prognosis in cutaneous melanoma patients

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biao Huang ◽  
Wei Han ◽  
Zu-Feng Sheng ◽  
Guo-Liang Shen
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Dendritic Cells ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
Cutaneous Melanoma ◽  
Normal Skin ◽  
Extensive Study ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Hub Genes ◽  
Bioinformatics Analyses ◽  
Normal Tissues

Abstract Background：Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is one of the most malignant and aggressive cancers, causing about 72% of deaths in skin carcinoma. Although extensive study has explored the mechanism of recurrence and metastasis, the tumorigenesis of cutaneous melanoma remains unclear. Exploring the tumorigenesis mechanism may help identify prognostic biomarkers that could serve to guide cancer therapy. Methods：Integrative bioinformatics analyses, including GEO database, TCGA database, DAVID, STRING, Metascape, GEPIA, cBioPortal, TRRUST, TIMER, TISIDB and DGIdb, were performed to unveil the hub genes participating in tumor progression and cancer-associated immunology of SKCM. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed to validate differential expression levels of hub genes between SKCM tissue and normal tissues from the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University cohort. Results: A total of 308 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 12 hub genes were found significantly differentially expressed between SKCM and normal skin tissues. Functional annotation indicated that inflammatory response, immune response was closely associated with SKCM tumorigenesis. KEGG pathways in hub genes include IL-10 signaling and chemokine receptors bind chemokine signaling. Five chemokines members (CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL13, CCL4, CCL5) were associated with better overall survival and pathological stages. IHC results suggested that significantly elevated CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL13, CCL4 and CCL5 proteins expressed in the SKCM than in the normal tissues. Moreover, our findings suggested that IRF7, RELA, NFKB1, IRF3 and IRF1 are key transcription factors for CCL4, CCL5, CXCL10. In addition, the expressions of CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL13, CCL4 and CCL5 were positively correlated with infiltration of six immune cells (B-cell, CD8+T cells, CD4+T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, dendritic cells) and 28 types of TILs. Among them, high levels of B cells, CD8+T cells, neutrophils and dendritic cells were significantly related to longer SKCM survival time. Conclusion: In summary, this study mainly identified five chemokine members (CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL13, CCL4, CCL5) associated with SKCM tumorigenesis, progression, prognosis and immune infiltrations, which might help us evaluate several immune-related targets for cutaneous melanoma therapy.

scholarly journals Cytotoxic Chemotherapy and CD4+ Effector T Cells: An Emerging Alliance for Durable Antitumor Effects

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi-Chun Ding ◽  
Gang Zhou
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Clinical Problem ◽  
Chemotherapeutic Agents ◽  
Cytotoxic Chemotherapy ◽  
Effector T Cells ◽  
Cell Phenotype ◽  
Antitumor Effects ◽  
Clinical Benefits ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact

Standard cytotoxic chemotherapy can initially achieve high response rates, but relapses often occur in patients and represent a severe clinical problem. As increasing numbers of chemotherapeutic agents are found to have immunostimulatory effects, there is a growing interest to combine chemotherapy and immunotherapy for synergistic antitumor effects and improved clinical benefits. Findings from recent studies suggest that highly activated, polyfunctional CD4+ effector T cells have tremendous potential in strengthening and sustaining the overall host antitumor immunity in the postchemotherapy window. This review focuses on the latest progresses regarding the impact of chemotherapy on CD4+ T-cell phenotype and function and discusses the prospect of exploiting CD4+ T cells to control tumor progression and prevent relapse after chemotherapy.

scholarly journals Identification of a ZC3H12D-Regulated Competing Endogenous RNA Network for Prognosis of Lung Adenocarcinoma at Single-Cell Level

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenhan Chen ◽  
Zhifeng Guo ◽  
Jingyang Wu ◽  
Guofu Lin ◽  
Shaohua Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Lung Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Rna Sequencing ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Functional Enrichment ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Competing Endogenous Rna ◽  
Hub Genes ◽  
Cerna Network

Abstract Objective To identify hub genes from the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and to explore their potential function on prognosis of patients from a single-cell perspective.Methods We performed RNA-sequencing of LUAD to construct ceRNA regulatory network, integrating with public databases to identify the vital pathways related to patients’ prognosis and to reveal the expression level of hub genes under different conditions, the functional enrichment of co-expressed genes and their potential immune-related mechanisms.Results ZC3H12D-hsa-miR-4443-ENST00000630242 axis was found to be related with LUAD. Lower ZC3H12D expression was significantly associated with shorter overall survival (OS) of patients (HR=2.007, P<0.05), and its expression was higher in early-stage patients, including T1 (P<0.05) and N0 (P<0.05). Additionally, ZC3H12D expression was higher in immune cells displayed by single-cell RNA-sequencing data, especially in Treg cells of lung cancer and CD8 T cells, B cells and CD4 T cells of LUAD. In the brain metastasized, the expression of ZC3H12D in macrophages was relatively abundant. The functional enrichment analysis showed that the co-expressed genes mainly played a role in lymphocyte activation and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. In addition, ZC3H12D was associated with multiple immune cells and immune molecules, including immune checkpoints CTLA4, CD96 and TIGIT.Conclusion ZC3H12D-hsa-miR-4443-ENST00000630242 ceRNA network was identified in LUAD. ZC3H12D could affect the survival and prognosis of patients by regulating mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, immune cells and immune molecules. Therefore, it may serve as a vital predictive marker and could be regarded as a potential therapeutic target for LUAD in the future.

scholarly journals CCR4, CCR8, and P2RY14 as Prognostic Factors in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Are Involved in the Remodeling of the Tumor Microenvironment

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liangliang Meng ◽  
Xiaoxi He ◽  
Quan Hong ◽  
Bo Qiao ◽  
Xiao Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽  
T Cells ◽  
B Cells ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Head And Neck ◽  
Protein Level ◽  
Hub Genes ◽  
Normal Tissues ◽  
Tumor Tissues

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of cancer. However, the specific mechanism of its regulation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. In this study, we first applied the ESTIMATE method to calculate the immune and stromal scores in patients’ tumor tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. GSE41613, GSE30784, and GSE37991 data sets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were recruited for further validation. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and then analyzed by Cox regression analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction. DEGs significantly associated with prognosis and TME will be identified as hub genes. These genes were also validated at the protein level by immunohistochemical analysis of 10 pairs of primary tumor tissues and the adjacent normal tissues from our institution. The relationship between hub genes expression and immune cell fraction estimated by CIBERSORT software was also examined. 275 DEGs were significantly associated with TME. CCR4, CCR8, and P2RY14 have then identified as hub genes by intersection Cox and PPI analysis. Further investigation revealed that the expression of CCR4, CCR8, and P2RY14 was negatively correlated with clinicopathological characteristics (clinical stage, T stage) and positively associated with survival in HNSCC patients, especially in male patients. The expression of CCR8 and P2RY14 was lower in males than in females. CCR8 and P2RY14 were differentially expressed in tumor tissues than normal tissues, and the results were validated at the protein level by immunohistochemistry experiments. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that the high expression groups’ hub genes were mainly enriched for immune-related activities. In the low-expression groups, genes were primarily enriched in metabolic pathways. CIBERSORT results showed that the expression of these genes was all negatively correlated with the fraction of memory B cells and positively correlated with the fraction of the other four cells, including naive B cells, resting T cells CD4 memory, T cells follicular helper, and T cells regulatory (Tregs). The results suggest that CCR4, CCR8, and P2RY14 may be responsible for maintaining the immune dominance of TME, thus leading to a better prognosis.

scholarly journals MMP1 and MMP9 are potential prognostic biomarkers and targets for uveal melanoma

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianyu Wang ◽  
Yuanyuan Zhang ◽  
Jianhao Bai ◽  
Yawen Xue ◽  
Qing Peng
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Uveal Melanoma ◽  
Protein Interaction ◽  
Disease Free Survival ◽  
Interaction Network ◽  
Gene Expression Omnibus ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Hub Genes ◽  
Protein Protein Interaction ◽  
Normal Tissues

Abstract Background: Uveal melanoma (UVM) is the leading cause of eye-related mortality worldwide. This study aimed to explore the expression and prognostic value of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in UVM.Methods: Gene expression levels were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and Oncomine databases. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the Metascape database. GeneMANIA was then applied to construct a protein-protein interaction network and identify the hub genes. Moreover, overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) analysis for the hub genes was performed using the UALCAN and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) online tool. Furthermore, TRRUST was used to predict the targets of the MMPs. Results: Our results revealed that the transcriptional levels of MMP1, MMP9, MMP10, MMP11, MMP13, MMP14, and MMP17 were upregulated in UVM tissues compared to normal tissues. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and the top 50 hub genes were identified. The functions of MMPs and their neighboring proteins are mainly associated with ECM-receptor interaction, proteoglycans in cancer, the IL-17 signaling pathway, and microRNAs in cancer. Among the MMPs, MMP1/2/9/11/14/15/16/17/24 played significant roles in the progression of UVM from stage 3 to stage 4. We also found that the expression of MMP1, MMP 2, MMP 9, and MMP 16 was positively correlated with OS and DFS in patients with UVM. Additionally, 18 transcription factors associated with nine MMPs were identified.Conclusions: The results of this study may provide potential biomarkers and targets for UVM. However, further studies are required to confirm these results.

scholarly journals IL-7 coupled with IL-12 increases intratumoral T cell clonality, leading to complete regression of non-immunogenic tumors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mamoru Tasaki ◽  
Midori Yamashita ◽  
Yukinori Arai ◽  
Takafumi Nakamura ◽  
Shinsuke Nakao
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Tumor Regression ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽  
Cell Receptor ◽  
Complete Regression ◽  
Tcr Repertoire ◽  
Clinical Benefits

AbstractImmune checkpoint inhibitors against PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4 have altered the treatment paradigm for various types of cancers in the past decade. However, they offer clinical benefits to only a subset of patients. Evaluation and identification of an appropriate therapeutic approach to improve intratumoral immune status are needed for better treatment outcomes. We previously demonstrated that intratumoral expression of IL-7 and IL-12 increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in poorly immunogenic tumors, resulting in a higher tumor regression rate than IL-12 alone. However, the mechanism underlying the difference in efficacy with and without IL-7 remains unclear. Here, we identified a previously unknown effect of IL-7 on the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of intratumoral CD8+ T cells, which is induced in the presence of IL-12. While IL-7 alone increased the diversity of intratumoral CD8+ T cells, IL-7 with IL-12 increased a limited number of high-frequency clones, conversely augmenting IL-12 function to increase the clonality. The proportion of mice with multiple high-frequency clones in tumors correlated with that achieving complete tumor regression in efficacy studies. These findings provide a scientific rationale for combining IL-7 and IL-12 in anticancer immunotherapy and unveil a novel IL-7 function on intratumoral TCR repertoire.

scholarly journals Identification of Key Genes and Immune Infiltrate in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis: A Bioinformatic Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Zhen-yu Jiang ◽  
Yi Zhou ◽  
Lu Zhou ◽  
Shao-wei Li ◽  
Bang-mao Wang
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis ◽  
Γδ T Cells ◽  
Bioinformatic Analysis ◽  
Gene Expression Omnibus ◽  
Ppi Network ◽  
Hub Genes ◽  
Immune Infiltration ◽  
Normal Tissues ◽  
Key Genes

Background. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can progress to cirrhosis and hepatic carcinoma and is closely associated with changes in the neurological environment. The discovery of new biomarkers would aid in the treatment of NASH. Methods. Data GSE89632 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and R package “limma” was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for NASH vs. normal tissues. The STRING database was used to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the Cytoscape software program (Version 3.80) was used to visualize the PPI network and identify key genes. The immune infiltration of NASH was determined using the R package “CIBERSORT”. Results. We screened 41 DEGs. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of the DEGs revealed the enrichment of pathways related to NAFLD steatosis and inflammation. A PPI network analysis was also performed on the DEGs, and seven genes (MYC, CXCL8, FOS, SOCS1, SOCS3, IL6, and PTGS2) were identified as hub genes. An immune infiltration assessment revealed that macrophages M2, memory resting CD4+ T cells, and γΔ T cells play important roles in the immune microenvironment of NASH, which may be mediated by the seven identified hub genes.

scholarly journals MMP1 and MMP9 are potential prognostic biomarkers and targets for uveal melanoma

BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianyu Wang ◽  
Yuanyuan Zhang ◽  
Jianhao Bai ◽  
Yawen Xue ◽  
Qing Peng
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Uveal Melanoma ◽  
Protein Interaction ◽  
Disease Free Survival ◽  
Interaction Network ◽  
Gene Expression Omnibus ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Hub Genes ◽  
Protein Protein Interaction ◽  
Normal Tissues

Abstract Background Uveal melanoma (UVM) is the leading cause of eye-related mortality worldwide. This study aimed to explore the expression and prognostic value of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in UVM. Methods Gene expression levels were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and Oncomine databases. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the Metascape database. GeneMANIA was then applied to construct a protein-protein interaction network and identify the hub genes. Moreover, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) analysis for the hub genes was performed using the UALCAN and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) online tool. Furthermore, TRRUST was used to predict the targets of the MMPs. Results Our results revealed that the transcriptional levels of MMP1, MMP9, MMP10, MMP11, MMP13, MMP14, and MMP17 were upregulated in UVM tissues compared to normal tissues. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed and the top 50 hub genes were identified. The functions of MMPs and their neighboring proteins are mainly associated with ECM-receptor interaction, proteoglycans in cancer, the IL-17 signaling pathway, and microRNAs in cancer. Among the MMPs, MMP1/2/9/11/14/15/16/17/24 played significant roles in the progression of UVM from stage 3 to stage 4. We also found that the expression of MMP1, MMP2, MMP9, and MMP16 positively correlated with OS and DFS in patients with UVM. Additionally, 18 transcription factors associated with nine MMPs were identified. Conclusions The results of this study may provide potential biomarkers and targets for UVM. However, further studies are required to confirm these results.

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