Open Access

ARTICLE

Identification and verification of aging-related lncRNAs for prognosis prediction and immune microenvironment in patients with head and neck squamous carcinoma

QING GAO^1,#, YUJING SHI^2,#, YUANYUAN SUN^1,#, SHU ZHOU¹, ZEYUAN LIU³, XINCHEN SUN^1,*, XIAOKE DI^1,*

1 Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
2 Department of Oncology, Jurong People’s Hospital, Jurong, 212499, China
3 Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanjing Jiangning Hospital and the Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211199, China

* Corresponding Authors: Xinchen Sun, ; Xiaoke Di,
# Qing Gao, Yujing Shi, and Yuanyuan Sun have contributed equally to this work

Oncology Research 2023, 31(1), 35-61. https://doi.org/10.32604/or.2022.028193

Received 04 December 2022; Accepted 30 January 2023; Issue published 01 March 2023

Abstract

Aging is highly associated with tumor formation and progression. However, little research has explored the association of aging-related lncRNAs (ARLs) with the prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). RNA sequences and clinicopathological data of HNSCC patients and normal subjects were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas. In the training group, we used Pearson correlation, univariate Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage/selection operator regression analyses, and multivariate Cox regression to build a prognostic model. In the test group, we evaluated the model. Multivariate Cox regression was done to screen out independent prognostic factors, with which we constructed a nomogram. Afterward, we demonstrated the predictive value of the risk scores based on the model and the nomogram using time-dependent receiver operating characteristics. Gene set enrichment analysis, immune correlation analysis, and half-maximal inhibitory concentration were also performed to reveal the different landscapes of TIME between risk groups and to predict immuno- and chemo-therapeutic responses. The most important LINC00861 in the model was examined in HNE1, CNE1, and CNE2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines and transfected into the cell lines CNE1 and CNE2 using the LINC00861-pcDNA3.1 construct plasmid. In addition, CCK-8, Edu, and SA-β-gal staining assays were conducted to test the biofunction of LINC00861 in the CNE1 and CNE2 cells. The signature based on nine ARLs has a good predictive value in survival time, immune infiltration, immune checkpoint expression, and sensitivity to multiple drugs. LINC00861 expression in CNE2 was significantly lower than in the HNE1 and CNE1 cells, and LINC00861 overexpression significantly inhibited the proliferation and increased the senescence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines. This work built and verified a new prognostic model for HNSCC based on ARLs and mapped the immune landscape in HNSCC. LINC00861 is a protective factor for the development of HNSCC.

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