Analysis of the Significance of Immune Cell Infiltration and Prognosis of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer by Bioinformatics.

Objective: To perform gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and analysis of immune cell infiltration on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) expression profiling microarray data based on bioinformatics, construct TICS scoring model to distinguish prognosis time, screen key genes and cancer-related pathways for NSCLC treatment, explore differential genes in NSCLC patients, predict potential therapeutic targets for NSCLC, and provide new directions for the treatment of NSCLC.

Methods: Transcriptome data of 81 NSCLC patients and the GEO database were used to download matching clinical data (access number: GSE120622). Form the expression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). TICS values were calculated and grouped according to TICS values, and we used mRNA expression profile data to perform GSEA in non-small-cell lung cancer patients. Biological process (GO) analysis and DAVID and KOBAS were used to undertake pathway enrichment (KEGG) analysis of differential genes. Use protein interaction (PPI) to analyze the database STRING, and construct a PPI network model of target interaction.

Results: We obtained 6 significantly related immune cells including activated B cells through the above analysis (Figure 1(b), < 0.001). Based on the TICS values of significantly correlated immune cells, 41 high-risk and 40 low-risk samples were obtained. TICS values and immune score values were subjected to Pearson correlation coefficient calculation, and TICS and IMS values were found to be significantly correlated (Cor = 0.7952). Based on non-small-cell lung cancer mRNA expression profile data, a substantial change in mRNA was found between both the high TICS group as well as the low TICS group (FDR 0.01, FC > 2). The researchers discovered 730 mRNAs that were considerably upregulated in the high TICS group and 121 mRNAs that were considerably downregulated in the low TICS group. High confidence edges (combined score >0.7) were selected using STRING data; then, 191 mRNAs were matched to the reciprocal edges; finally, an undirected network including 164 points and 777 edges was constructed. Important members of cellular chemokine-mediated signaling pathways, such as CCL19, affect patient survival time.

Conclusion: (1) The longevity of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer was substantially connected with the presence of immature B cells, activated B cells, MDSC, effector memory CD4 T cells, eosinophils, and regulatory T cells. (2) Immune-related genes such as CX3CR1, CXCR4, CXCR5, and CCR7, which are associated with the survival of NSCLC, affect the prognosis of NSCLC patients by regulating the immune process.