Prognostic predictive modeling of non-small cell lung cancer associated with cadmium-related pathogenic genes

Persistent exposure to low-dose of cadmium is strongly linked to both the development and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet the precise molecular mechanism behind this relationship remains uncertain. In this study, cadmium-related pathogenic genes (CRPGs) in NSCLC were identified via differential expression analysis. NSCLC patient clusters related to CRPGs were constructed through univariate Cox and K-means clustering algorithms. Multivariate Cox and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses were employed to determine the prognosis. Sixteen CRPGs showed a significant association with NSCLC. We found biological and prognostic differences between patients in clusters A and B. A predictive prognostic risk model for NSCLC revealed that FAM83H, MSMO1, and SNAI1 are central. Hence, the 3 hub genes were named. To further elucidate the role of CRPGs in NSCLC, A549 cells were exposed to CdCl₂. The mRNA and protein expression levels of the 3 hub genes and cell invasion were detected. Moreover, 10 μM CdCl₂ may increase the protein expression of 3 hub genes and enhance the invasive ability of A549 cells. This risk model may have established a theoretical foundation for investigating the mechanisms, treatment, and prognosis of NSCLC.