An immune-lncRNA risk model to predict prognosis for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) are closely correlated with the occurrence and development of tumors. The purpose of this research is to construct a risk model of immune-related lncRNAs that can be used for predicting the survival and prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients and further exploring the immune function of immune-lncRNAs. Methods obtained detailed transcriptional data and clinical information for 545 cases of HNSCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Combined lncRNAs and the immune gene sets from the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB) were employed to construct co□expression networks, the significant correlation of immune-lncRNAs obtained from the results of Cox regression analysis were used to build the model. Survival analysis and QRT-PCR were used to confirm the expression of immune-lncRNAs and optimize the risk model. Then single-cell RNA Sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset analysis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), co-expression analysis, correlation analysis and immunohistochemistry were used to explore the immune function of immune-lncRNAs. Results A total of 13 immune-lncRNAs including AC104083.1、AC004148.2、AL357033.4、AC116914.2、AC024075.1、AC008115.3、PCED1B-AS1、RAB11B-AS1、AC004687.1、 AL450992.2、EP300-AS1、AC024075.2、AC136475.2 were identified to construct the risk model. In this model, low-risk patients had higher overall survival (OS, P=1.923e-12, hazard ratio=2.104, 95% CI: 1.622-2.730). AC004687.1 and PCED1B-AS1 were overexpressed in T cells and were closely related to the genes encoding major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II) molecules. And the results of QRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry showed the expression significant positively correlated with HLA-DR which is one of the MHC II classical molecules. Conclusion the immune-associated risk model constructed by 13 lncRNAs has good prognostic value for HNSCC. AC004687.1 and PCED1B-AS1 are significant correlating to clinical characteristics and MHC II, we provide a new insight into the immune function of lncRNAs.