Transcriptome analysis constructed the necroptosis associated prognostic signature in endometrial cancer and identified EZH2 as a potential biomarker

Abstract

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common malignancies of the female reproductive system, but our understanding of the tumor microenvironment of EC remains unclear. Programmed cell death (PCD) plays an important role in the genesis and progression of tumors. Necroptosis is a novel form of PCD that does not rely on the caspase system. However, the role of necroptosis in EC is unclear. Transcriptome data of endometrial cancer were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and log2 conversion was performed. Expression analysis and correlation analysis were performed to explore necroptosis gene expression and interaction in EC. Lasso regression was used to construct necroptosis-related prognostic signature. Finally, immunocorrelation analysis and single cell sequencing analysis were used to explore the significance of this signature in EC tumor microenvironment. A total of 15 of the 17 necroptosis genes were differentially expressed in EC. Subsequently, necroptosis related prognostic signature was constructed through Lasso regression. Riskscore = (−0.0999) × Toll-likereceptor4 (TLR4) + (−0.0528) × tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 1A (TNFRSF1A) + (0.1208) × Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) + (−0.004) × N-myc Down-stream Regulated Gene 2 (NDRG2). EC patients can be divided into high-risk group and low-risk group based on the median riskscore and the high-risk group has a worse prognosis. Survival analysis showed a worse prognosis for patients in the high-risk group (p < 0.05). Immunomicroenvironment analysis showed a significant negative correlation between risk score and infiltration levels of B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, Endothelial cells, macrophages, and NK cells. Subsequent cell experiments showed that knockdown of the key gene EZH2 in signature significantly reduced the invasion, migration and healing abilities of EC cell lines, proving that EZH2 is a promising marker of EC.