Landscape of immunocytes infiltration and prognostic immune-related genes in hepatocellular carcinoma

/Objective: The therapeutic efficacy and prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unsatisfactory, and further studies are supposed to provide more effective treatment strategies. Immune cells in extracellular matrix play an important role in the therapeutic effect and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

To explore the mechanism of immune cells, we analysed the relationship between immune infiltration and gene expression profile through public databases. Patients were divided into high and low groups according to immune score by the ESTIMATE algorithm. It was found that the prognosis and clinical data of patients with liver cancer were correlated with immune scores.

Using the CIBERSORT method, we identified 21 types of immunocytes infiltration in HCC and demonstrated that these immune cells have clinical and prognostic implications. According to immune score, 590 differentially expressed genes were identified, and 6 key immune-related genes were screened by univariate COX analysis and lasso regression. In addition, the expression of EGLN3, KLRB1, MSC and HMOX1 was found to be correlated with immune cells (B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, macrophages and dendritic cells) in HCC by the TIMER algorithm.

These findings provide new clues to understanding the mechanisms of immune cells in HCC and lay the foundation for the development of new prognostic strategies in HCC.