Prediction of prognosis related to immune cell infiltration in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma using a model based on immune-associated genes

HNSCC, a prevalent cancer globally, can be influenced by the immune microenvironment, affecting its prognosis. However, the contribution of immune to cancer progression has not been clarified clearly. Data on the gene expression patterns and clinical information of patients with HNSCC were obtained from the TCGA repository. The LASSO Cox analysis model was used to identify prognostic genes. Kaplan‒Meier analysis was used to compare the survival rates of patients classified as high-risk and low-risk. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis identified the factors that independently predicted overall survival. Immune cell infiltration and activity of immune-related pathways were evaluated using ssGSEA. GSEA was used to analyses GO terms and KEGG pathways. Prognostic genes in patients with HNSCC were analyzed using the GEPIA database. Immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR were used to detect the protein and gene expression of OLR1 in HNSCC samples. A gene signature related to immunity was developed using LASSO Cox regression analysis. Patients with HNSCC in the high-risk category exhibited a marked decrease in overall survival when compared to those in the low-risk category. ROC curve analysis validated the predictive ability of the prognostic gene signature. According to the multivariate Cox analysis, the risk score was identified as a standalone predictor for overall survival. The functional analysis revealed significant differences in immune status between the two groups at risk. The risk score was significantly related to tumor stage and immune subtype. Furthermore, high expression of ORL1 significantly predicted poor prognosis of HNSCC patients. The new set of 24 genes related to the immune system in the signature of the novel indicates the immune condition of HNSCC and has the potential to predict prognosis. Additionally, ORL1 could serve as promising targets for treating HNSCC. The gene model for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma plays a crucial role in immune response.