Identification of key genes in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma through bioinformatics analysis and validation via immunohistochemistry
10.3760/cma.j.issn.0254-9026.2025.05.009
- VernacularTitle:基于生物信息学分析皮肤鳞癌的关键基因和免疫组化验证
- Author:
Xiaoxiao LIU
1
;
Fei WANG
1
;
Dongmei YANG
1
;
Luning REN
1
;
Xue JIN
1
;
Hongyang DU
1
Author Information
1. 锦州医科大学附属第一医院皮肤科，锦州 121000
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Skin neoplasms;
Genomics;
Tumor markers, biological;
Immunohistochemistry
- From:
Chinese Journal of Geriatrics
2025;44(5):621-627
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To identify the key differentially expressed gene, BTF3, in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma(cSCC)using bioinformatics methods and to preliminarily explore the potential mechanisms of BTF3 and its co-expressed genes in cSCC development. Methods:The cSCC-related datasets(GSE98767, GSE42677, GSE45164)were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database.Differential expression analysis revealed BTF3 as a significantly differentially expressed gene in cSCC.A BTF3-related co-expressed gene network was constructed and subjected to gene ontology(GO)enrichment analysis to investigate the biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components that were significantly enriched.The study selected 60 paraffin-embedded tissue samples from the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, collected between 2020 and 2024.This cohort included 30 samples from cSCC patients and 30 samples from patients who underwent excision of melanocytic nevi.Immunohistochemical experiments were conducted to assess the expression of BTF3 in cSCC tissues.Additionally, single-sample gene set enrichment analysis(ssGSEA)was performed to assess the relevance of BTF3 to immune cells, and protein-protein interaction(PPI)analysis was employed to identify critical gene networks. Results:BTF3 was significantly overexpressed in cSCC, as confirmed by immunohistochemistry.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve indicated that BTF3 exhibited moderate classification accuracy.Co-expression analysis revealed that positively correlated genes with BTF3 included EIF3E and HSPA14, while negatively correlated genes included SZRD1 and ARHGEF2.GO analysis demonstrated that BTF3 was enriched in biological processes such as glucose metabolism, signaling in response to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)damage, endogenous apoptotic signaling pathways, platelet morphogenesis, and platelet formation.Additionally, ssGSEA indicated a significant association of BTF3 with memory B cells and a notable correlation with low CD56-expressing natural killer cells. Conclusions:BTF3 is significantly overexpressed in cSCC and may represent a promising diagnostic and therapeutic target by influencing key gene networks and modulating the immune microenvironment.
