Integrated analysis of the prognostic and immunotherapeutic significance of ZEB1-AS1 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 antisense 1 (ZEB1-AS1) is a lncRNA related to the progression of several malignancies and a regulator of oncogenesis in several cancers. Therefore, the aim of our study was to explore the prognostic value and immune relevance of ZEB1- AS1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods HCC-related data were downloaded from the TCGA database. The interaction of ZEB1-AS1 expression with the prognosis of HCC patients was analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox analysis. The expression levels of ZEB1-AS1 in normal human liver cells and HCC cells were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, the correlation of ZEB1-AS1 with immunity was analyzed. In addition, the potential mechanism of action of ZEB1-AS1 in HCC was explored by co-expression analysis and functional enrichment analysis. The R software (version 4.0.5) was used to perform the statistical analysis. Results ZEB1-AS1 overexpression was associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients. ZEB1-AS1 expression and tumor stage were independent prognostic factors in patients with HCC. The expression of ZEB1-AS1 was significantly increased in HCC cell lines. A significant negative association of ZEB1-AS1 expression with stromal score and immune score was observed. ZEB1-AS1 expression was correlated with multiple immune cells, immune checkpoint inhibitor, immunotherapy response and drug sensitivity. ZEB1-AS1 was involved in the regulation of tumor-associated signaling pathways. Conclusion ZEB1-AS1 has a favorable predictive effect on prognosis and immune checkpoint reactivity of HCC patients. Thus, it might represent a potential prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for HCC.