A new risk model for CSTA, FAM83A, and MYCT1 predicts poor prognosis and is related to immune infiltration in lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: To create a prognostic model based on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in early lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and characterize the relationship between risk scores and tumor immune infiltration.
Methods: We identified DEGs in normal and tumor tissues that overlapped between LUSC-related data sets from the Gene Expression Omnibus and the Cancer Genome Atlas and evaluated their roles in the diagnosis and prognosis of LUSC by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, meta-analysis and nomogram analysis. We then constructed a risk model based on Cox regression analysis and the Akaike information criterion and identified the relationship between LUSC risk scores and immune infiltration.
Results: Sixty-two overlapping DEGs were involved with keratinocyte differentiation, epidermal cell differentiation, neutrophil migration, granulocyte chemotaxis, granulocyte migration, leukocyte aggregation, and positive regulation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity. Overexpression of family with sequence similarity 83 member A ( FAM83A ) and MYC target 1 ( MYCT1 ), kallikrein related peptidase 8 ( KLK8 ), and downregulation of ADP ribosylation factor like GTPase 14 ( ARL14 ), caspase recruitment domain family member 14 ( CARD14 ), cystatin A ( CSTA ), dickkopf WNT signaling pathway inhibitor 4 ( DKK4 ), desmoglein 3 ( DSG3 ), and keratin 6B ( KRT6B ) were associated with a poor prognosis in LUSC and had significant value for LUSC diagnosis. The expression of CSTA, FAM83A , and MYCT1 and high-risk scores were independent risk factors for a poor prognosis in LUSC. A risk nomogram revealed that risk scores could predict the prognosis of LUSC. The risk score was associated with neutrophils, naive B cells, helper follicular T cells, and activated dendritic cells.
Conclusions: The expression levels of CSTA, FAM83A , and MYCT1 are related to the diagnosis and prognosis of LUSC and may have potential as therapeutic targets in LUSC. A risk model and nomogram based on CSTA, FAM83A , and MYCT1 can predict the prognosis of LUSC.
Competing Interests: None.
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