https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4852-0342
Abstract
Background
GABRP has been reported to play an oncogenic role in various carcinomas. However, no report has been found for its involvement in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) development yet. We aimed to explore the expression and prognostic roles of GABRP and assessment of its association with tumor microenvironment in LUSC.
Methods
The GABRP expression in LUSC was analyzed using TCGA, GEO, and HPA databases. The Kaplan-Meier, Cox regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were applied to assess the prognostic and diagnostic values of GABRP in LUSC. We also performed ESTIMATE and ssGSEA to explore the association between GABRP expression and immune cell infiltrations. GABRP was highly expressed in LUSC patients, and up-regulation of GABRP was associated with shorter overall survival (OS). Cox regression analysis indicated that GABRP was an independent prognostic factor for LUSC patients. KEGG analysis revealed that GABRP may play an important role in starch and sucrose metabolism and nicotine addiction. Specifically, GABRP expression showed significant positive correlations with the infiltration levels of most types of immune cells, as well as immune checkpoint molecules expression.
Conclusion
Up-regulation of GABRP in LUSC could be severed as a prognostic marker and a potential target for immunotherapy in LUSC.
Availability of Supporting Data
The data that support the findings of this study were derived from the following public databases: The Cancer Genome Atlas (http://portal.gdc.cancer.gov/) and Gene Expression Omnibus (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/).
Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate
All experiments were approved by the Ethics Committee of Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University. This study was performed in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration.
Disclosure
All authors declare that they have no competing interests.