SLC2A3 is a Potential Factor for Head and Neck Squamous Cancer Development through Tumor Microenvironment Alteration

Tumor immunity has garnered increasing attention in cancer treatment and progression. However, there is still a challenge in understanding the mechanisms of specific molecules affecting the clinical prognosis and tumor microenvironment (TME).

Here, we applied the ESTIMATE algorithm to calculate the immune and stromal scores in 504 HNSC cases from TCGA. Patients were grouped according to the median value of the immune and stromal. Clinicopathological characteristics and differentially expressed genes (DEG) were analyzed. Subsequently, LASSO, COX regression, survival analysis, and clinicopathological characteristics were conducted. Subsequently, SLC2A3 was determined as a predictive factor that high expression of SLC2A3 at the mRNA and protein levels predicted a worse clinical prognosis. GSEA25099 was utilized for external validation of immune infiltration, while tissue PCR, IHC, and Western Blot were used to confirm the expression levels of SLC2A3.

A series of immune-infiltration analyses showed that SLC2A3 expression was negatively correlated with CD8+ T cells, significantly affecting the survival prognosis of HNSC. In the GSEA analysis, the high expression of SLC2A3 was mainly enriched for immune-related biological processes. Meanwhile, high expression of SLC2A3 possessed higher TIDE scores and was also strongly positively correlated with a series of immune checkpoints affecting survival prognosis, thus causing greater susceptibility to immune escape.

Conclusively, SLC2A3 is a potential oncogene and factor of HNSC development, notably by an altered state of the immune microenvironment, immune-suppressive regulation, and immune escape.