Background
The role of immune cell infiltration in tumor biology and the potential of immunotherapy for the treatment of several cancers have been proven. However, the immunogenomic landscape and immune cell infiltration need to be comprehensively analyzed in bladder cancer (BC). This study aimed to explore the immune-related genes (IRGs) in BC to create a prognostic risk assessment model and gain some insights into the molecular underpinnings of BC.
Methods
Based on the datasets retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we identified survival-associated IRGs via univariate Cox analysis. Then, we created an immune-related gene-based prognostic factor (IRGPF) and validated it by multivariable Cox analysis. We displayed the profiles of 22 types of immune cells by using CIBERSORT and explored the relationship between IRGs and immune cell infiltration.
Results
Altogether, 58 differentially expressed IRGs were found to be associated with the prognosis of patients with BC. We constructed a prognostic assessment model as an IRGPF with IRGs (THBS1, CXCL9, CXCL11, FABP6, BIRC5, and PPY). Profiles of the infiltrating immune cells confirmed their significance based on clinical factors and individual differences. The IRGPF was related to immune cell infiltration, and the key gene was identified as THBS1.
Conclusions
Our findings confirmed that IRGs could act as independent prognostic factors and immune-driver factors. Patients with high levels of activated memory CD4 T cells but low levels of resting memory CD4 T cells had a better prognosis. This study indicates the possibility of developing new immunotherapeutic strategies and individualized treatment based on this approach.