SSR4 as a prognostic biomarker and related with immune infiltration cells in colon adenocarcinoma

ABSTRACT

Background

Signal sequence receptor subunit delta (SSR4) gene is reported to encode the translocon-associated protein δ and related with the human immune regulation. However, the expression of SSR4 in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) and its correlation with clinical treatment remains unclear.

Research design and methods

SSR4 mRNA expression level and its relationship with tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in COAD were evaluated through several databases. Furthermore, the study collected 238 cases of COAD tissue samples to detect the association of SSR4 protein expression level in TILs with clinical pathological information, and the prognosis of COAD.

Results

SSR4 mRNA was significantly highly expressed in COAD tissues and significantly correlated with several types of TILs in COAD. Moreover, SSR4 highly expressed in many types of TILs, especially highly expressed in plasma cell from COAD patients with advanced TNM stage. High SSR4 protein expression in TILs was associated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging, and Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) efficacy. COAD patients with high SSR4 expression in TILs had better overall survival.

Conclusions

In conclusion, high SSR4 mRNA and protein expression in TILs can be used as a prognostic biomarker for predicting better overall survival and treatment efficacy in COAD patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Colon adenocarcinoma
• SSR4
• tumor infiltrating lymphocytes
• prognosis

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request or available in DOI:10.4121/17169269.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contributions

1. Zhao directed the research and were responsible for study design and interpretation of results. W. He and B. Wang performed the respective project. J. He completed statistical analysis. B. Wang and Y. Zhao were responsible for clinical and pathological analysis. All of the authors reviewed, approved and contributed to the final version of the manuscript.

Abbreviation

SSR4: Signal sequence receptor subunit delta; COAD: colon adenocarcinoma; TILs: tumor infiltrating lymphocytes; TME: tumor microenvironment; TRAPδ: translocon-associated protein δ; ER: endoplasmic reticulum; AJCC: American Joint Committee on Cancer; RECIST: response evaluation criteria in solid tumors; CR: complete remission; PR: partial remission; PD: progression disease; SD: stable disease; OS: overall survival; TCGA: the cancer genome atlas; TIMER: tumor immune estimation resource; GEPIA: gene expression profiling interactive analysis; TISCH: tumor immune single-cell hub; IHC: immunohistochemistry; SP: Streptomyces antibiotin protein – peroxidase; VEGFR: vascular endothelial growth factor receptor; EGFR: endothelial growth factor receptor; TIBs: tumor infiltrating B lymphocytes; TLSs: Tertiary lymphoid structures.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Future Science and Technology Star Project of Nanjing First Hospital [No. 1521].