Investigation of immune-related hub genes as prognostic biomarkers in HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a significant risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), with oropharyngeal cancer being predominantly attributed to HPV. Clinical studies have consistently demonstrated that patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer exhibit a markedly better prognosis compared to those with HPV-negative oropharyngeal cancer. Consequently, understanding the key genes that influence the prognosis of HPV-positive patients is critical. This study aimed to identify the essential genes contributing to the prognostic differences observed between HPV-positive and HPV-negative oropharyngeal cancer patients. Utilizing GSE72536 and GSE55544 datasets obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), we conducted a comprehensive analysis and identified ten hub genes (IFNG, CD19, CD27, CD2, CD247, PDCD1, KLRK1, LAG3, FASLG, and KLRB1) that are significantly overexpressed in HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer tissues. These genes strongly correlate with improved prognosis and are closely associated with immune cell activation and infiltration, contributing to a potent antitumor immune response. The enhanced immune response observed in HPV-positive cancers, mediated by these hub genes, explains the better prognosis and longer overall survival (OS) associated with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer patients. These findings indicate that the identified hub genes could be valuable prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. This underscores the importance of personalized treatment strategies in improving clinical outcomes for HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer patients.