TRIM Expression in HNSCC: Exploring the Link Between Ubiquitination, Immune Infiltration, and Signaling Pathways Through Bioinformatics.

OBJECTIVE

Ubiquitination is an important post-translational modification. However, the significance of the TRIM family of E3 ubiquitin ligases in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has not been determined. In this study, the roles of TRIM E3 ubiquitin ligases in lymphovascular invasion in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) were evaluated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

TRIM expression and related parameters were obtained from UbiBrowser, UALCAN, TIMER, TISIDB, LinkedOmics, STRING, and GeneMANIA databases. Immunohistochemistry was used to confirm their expression.

RESULTS

, and were upregulated in HNSCC with lymphovascular invasion. TRIM expression was strongly associated with immune infiltration, including key treatment targets, like and . Co-expressed genes and possible ubiquitination substrates included tumor-related factors. The TRIMs had predicted roles in ubiquitination-related pathways and vital signaling pathways, eg, , and signaling pathways.

CONCLUSION

Ubiquitination mediated by four TRIMs might be involved in the regulation of tumor immunity, laying the foundation for future studies of the roles of the TRIM family on the prediction and personalized medicine in HNSCC. The four TRIMs might exert oncogenic effects by promoting lymphovascular invasion in HNSCC.