Integrative Bioinformatics Analysis Identifies NEK2 as a Potential Biomarker in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The purpose of this study is to explore the function and regulatory networks of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) by bioinformatics analysis using bioinformatics methods. The gene expression profile associated with HNSC was upregulated from the Cancer RNA-Seq Nexus (CRN) database and Oncomine. Functional analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and gene ontology was performed on DEGs. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was constructed using STRING and Cytoscape databases. A PPI network contained 101 genes. According to the comprehensive analysis of Degree and MCODE score, there are 12 genes. Based on the screened protein network and differential genes, further exploration was conducted according to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) normal and the genotype-tissue expression (GTEx) data. This investigation involved observing the expression of the first eight hub genes in tissues and the expression of NIMA-related kinase 2 (NEK2) in different stages and then survival analysis of HNSC. Results showed that NEK2 has important value in HNSC, which provides a reference for the molecular mechanism of HNSC.