Identification of Immune Infiltrating Cell-Related Biomarkers in Early Gastric Cancer Progression

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide.
• Early detection of gastric cancer (GC) is critical for improving patient outcomes.
• Identifying immune cell-related biomarkers can enhance early gastric cancer (EGC) diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify immune cell-infiltrating biomarkers associated with early gastric cancer (EGC) progression.
• To explore the role of immune cells in the transition from pre-neoplastic lesions to EGC.
• To discover potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for EGC.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets (GSE55696, GSE130823) including low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN), high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN), and EGC samples.
• Performed immune infiltration analysis using single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues (ESTIMATE).
• Employed weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis to identify key genes and biomarkers.

Main Results:

• Immune scores were significantly higher in EGC samples compared to LGIN and HGIN samples.
• The 'green-yellow' module from WGCNA strongly correlated with immune scores and EGC progression, containing 87 genes involved in signaling pathways like chemokine and PI3K-Akt.
• Identified nine hub genes, including PTPRC, CD48, and LCP1, with elevated expression in EGC, suggesting their involvement in disease progression.

Conclusions:

• Identified nine novel immune cell-related biomarkers implicated in early gastric cancer (EGC) progression.
• These biomarkers, including PTPRC, CD48, and LCP1, show potential as diagnostic indicators for EGC.
• The identified biomarkers represent promising therapeutic targets for gastric cancer (GC) management.