Multidimension Analysis of the Prognostic Value, Immune Regulatory Function, and ceRNA Network of LY6E in Individuals with Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND

Lymphocyte antigen 6 complex, locus E () is abnormally expressed in several cancers and is associated with poor outcomes. However, the biological role of in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains largely unknown. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the expression levels, prognostic value, biological functions, and immune effects of via pan-cancer and CRC analyses using multiple databases.

METHODS

We analyzed the expression pattern of in various cancers. The prognostic value of expression was identified using the Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox regression models. We used gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to identify the potential functions of . Correlations between the expression and various factors, including methylation level, copy number variation (CNV), microsatellite instability (MSI), and immune checkpoint genes, were also analyzed. The levels of expression and immune infiltration were analyzed using CIBERSORT. We constructed a regulatory network that was in compliance with the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) hypothesis. A ceRNA expression-based nomogram was established. Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was applied to validate the expression of -related ceRNA in CRC cell lines.

RESULTS

is overexpressed in several tumor types, including CRC, and patients with high expression levels of have a poor prognosis. The Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression analysis showed that could be considered a favorable prognostic factor in TCGA and GEO cohort. The results of GSEA showed that high expression levels were associated with immune-related pathways, such as those involved in antigen processing and presentation and the intestinal immune network for IgA production. Six methylation sites of that were associated with prognostic survival were screened. Moreover, the high levels of expression were correlated with copy number gain, microsatellite instability high, and immunotherapy response. The results of CIBERSORT analysis demonstrated that the expression levels were correlated with the infiltration of multiple immune cells, especially T cells. Then, we constructed a ceRNA network (LINC00963/miR-92a-3p/) and validated it using qRT-PCR. A predictive ceRNA-based nomogram was established and validated.

CONCLUSION

The oncogenic may serve as a promising marker for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.