Genome-wide profiling of a prognostic RNA-binding protein signature in esophageal cancer

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are known to be involved in the initiation and development of malignant tumors, but the roles of RBPs in esophageal cancer (EC) remain unclear. This study aims to establish a prognostic signature based on RBPs through genome-wide analysis to predict the prognosis of EC patients and provide new insights into chemoresistance.

The gene expression profiles and clinical data of patients with EC were downloaded from the Xena database. Candidate genes were obtained by taking the intersection of RBP genes, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway-related genes, and differentially expressed RBP genes from cluster analysis. Hub genes were extracted via protein-protein interaction network construction. A Cox proportional hazards regression model with seven prognostic RBPs (TRMT2A, PDHA1, MPRIP, KRI1, IL17A, HSPA1A, and HIST1H4J) was built. The risk score of each patient in internal and external dataset cohorts was calculated, and then the patients were divided into two groups based on the median value.

There were significant differences in survival curves between the two risk groups in the internal and external dataset cohorts (P<0.05). In terms of chemotherapy, there was a significant association between RBP risk score and response to chemotherapy, with low-risk patients being more likely to achieve complete response. Finally, univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that the risk score was significantly correlated with overall survival (P<0.05), and pathological stage could also be used independently to predict the prognosis of EC.

Our study indicated that the RBP signature could serve as a prognostic biomarker of EC and provided new insights into the chemoresistance of this disease.