Integrated-analysis of single-cell RNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq reveals MMP-mediated expression patterns by distinct tumor microenvironment immune profiles in cervical cancer

Abstract Background Few studies have analyzed the effect of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression patterns on the tumor microenvironment (TME) during development of cervical cancer (CC). Methods We elucidated the landscape and score of MMP expression in CC using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and RNA sequencing datasets. Further, we aimed the MMPscore to probe the infiltration of immune cells. Further, MMP expression was measured by quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Results We found MMPs were cell-type specific expressed in diverse types of CC cells, regulating the relative pathways of CC progression. Two distinct MMP expression patterns that associated infiltrated tumor microenvironment (TME) were identified. We discovered MMP expression patterns can predict the stage of tumor, subtype, stromal activity in the TME, genetic variation, and patient outcome. Patients with high MMPscore benefited from significantly better treatment and clinical outcomes. Conclusion These results indicate high MMPscore in diverse cell types may regulate immune response and improve the survival of patients with CC, which assist in developing more effective immunization strategies.