Frontiers in Oncology (Oct 2021)

A Multi-Center Validated Subtyping Model of Esophageal Cancer Based on Three Metabolism-Related Genes

  • Yu Liu,
  • Liyu Wang,
  • Lingling Fang,
  • Hengchang Liu,
  • He Tian,
  • Yujia Zheng,
  • Tao Fan,
  • Chunxiang Li,
  • Jie He

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.772145
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of malignancy. Understanding the characteristics of metabolic reprogramming in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) helps uncover novel targets for cancer progression. In this study, 880 metabolism-related genes were identified from microarray data and then filtered to divide patients into two subgroups using consensus clustering, which exhibits significantly different overall survival. After a differential analysis between two subtypes, 3 genes were screened out to construct a two subtypes decision model on the training cohort (GSE53624), defined as high-risk and low-risk subtypes. These risk models were then verified in two public databases (GSE53622 and TCGA-ESCC), an independent cohort of 49 ESCC patients by RT-qPCR and an external cohort of 95 ESCC patients by immunohistochemistry analysis (IHC). Furthermore, the immune cell infiltration of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and plasma cells showed a significant difference between the high and low-risk subtypes in the IHC experiment with 119 ESCC patients. In conclusion, our study indicated that three metabolism-related prognostic genes could stratify patients into subgroups and were associated with immune infiltration, clinical features and clinical outcomes.

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