Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
Department of Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Nov 10;25(22):12062. doi: 10.3390/ijms252212062.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common form of head and neck cancer, ranking sixth in global cancer incidence. Identifying molecular drivers of tumorigenesis and metastasis is essential for early detection and treatment. This study analyzed gene expression profiles from three datasets (GSE6791, GSE29330, and GSE58911) to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in HNSCC. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses were employed to functionally annotate these DEGs. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed for selecting hub genes using the STRING database. Finally, hub gene and protein expression levels were evaluated in patients with HNSCC, along with their association with overall survival. Our analysis identified twenty-eight co-DEGs comprising eight up-regulated and twenty down-regulated genes, primarily involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, proteolysis, ECM disassembly, and keratinization processes. Furthermore, the PPI network revealed eight hub genes based on their high degree of connectivity. Notably, demonstrated up-regulation, while was down-regulated in HNSCC. Remarkably, the expression levels of these hub genes correlated with tumor grade, clinical cancer stage, and poor prognosis in HNSCC. Our findings hold significant clinical potential for early diagnosis and the development of novel therapeutic targets for patients with HNSCC.
头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）是头颈部癌症中最常见的形式，在全球癌症发病率中排名第六。鉴定肿瘤发生和转移的分子驱动因素对于早期检测和治疗至关重要。本研究分析了三个数据集（GSE6791、GSE29330 和 GSE58911）的基因表达谱，以鉴定 HNSCC 中的差异表达基因（DEGs）。使用基因本体论和京都基因与基因组百科全书通路分析对这些 DEGs 进行功能注释。使用 STRING 数据库构建蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用（PPI）网络，以选择枢纽基因。最后，评估了 HNSCC 患者中枢纽基因和蛋白的表达水平及其与总生存期的关系。我们的分析确定了 28 个共同的 DEGs，包括 8 个上调和 20 个下调基因，主要涉及细胞外基质（ECM）组织、蛋白水解、ECM 解体和角化过程。此外，PPI 网络基于高连接度显示了 8 个枢纽基因。值得注意的是，在 HNSCC 中上调，而下调。值得注意的是，这些枢纽基因的表达水平与 HNSCC 的肿瘤分级、临床癌症分期和预后不良相关。我们的研究结果对头颈部鳞状细胞癌的早期诊断和新的治疗靶点的开发具有重要的临床潜力。
