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Mehdi AM, Zhou C, Turrell G, Walpole E, Porceddu S, Frazer IH, Chandra J. HPV status represents dominant trait driving delineation of survival-associated gene co-expression networks in head and neck cancer. Cancer Gene Ther 2022; 30:629-640. [PMID: 36575316 PMCID: PMC10104777 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-022-00577-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Integration of high-dimensional tumor gene expression data with clinicopathological data can increase our understanding of disease diversity, enable retrospective patient stratification, and identify new potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Using a systems biology approach, we provide a holistic overview of gene co-expression networks in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis of HNSCC RNA sequencing data from 519 patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was used to determine correlates of 5-year survival, using regression tree-based optimal threshold calculations. Survival-associated gene sets were transformed to gene set scores that were assessed for correlation with clinicopathological data. We identified 8 gene co-expression modules for HNSCC tumors, each of which contained co-expressed genes associated significantly with 5-year survival. Survival-associated co-expression gene signatures correlated dominantly with tumor HPV and p16 status. Network analysis identified that survival was associated with signaling networks of infection, immunity, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), hypoxia, glycolysis, focal adhesion, extracellular matrix, MYC signaling, autophagy and transcriptional regulation. EMT-associated gene signatures were expressed dominantly in fibroblasts, and cancer-associated fibroblasts were inversely correlated with immune activity. Interestingly, a high Immune Suppression Score based on expression of 21 genes associated with immune inhibition and including immune checkpoints, cytokines and regulatory T cell factors, was also associated with increased survival probability, and was significantly higher in HPV+ HNSCC. Networks associated with HNSCC survival were further associated with survival in cervical cancer, melanoma and lung cancer. This study defines 5129 genes associated with HNSCC survival, organized into co-expressed networks, their correlation with clinicopathological data, and with gene expression data from other malignant diseases, and provides a source for the discovery of biomarkers and novel therapies for HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M Mehdi
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.,Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation Ltd, Facility for Advanced Bioinformatics, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Chenhao Zhou
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Gavin Turrell
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Euan Walpole
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.,Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Sandro Porceddu
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.,Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Radiation Oncology, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Ian H Frazer
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Janin Chandra
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.
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