Role and mechanism of LINC02390 and its potential target genes, CLECL1 and CD69, in immune microenvironment of lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Targeted therapy and immunotherapy has brought new hope to patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) with their applications. However, the prognosis of LUAD patients is still unpromising.

Objective: It is particularly important to find the biomarkers that can predict the prognosis of LUAD. In our previous study, we found that patients with high expression of LINC02390 had a better prognosis. The clinical significance of LINC02390 and its potential target genes, CLECL1 and CD69, in the prognosis of LUAD and its role in the immune microenvironment were explored.

Methods: Through the survival analysis, LINC02390 and its potential target genes, CLECL1 and CD69, were identified as good prognostic factors for LUAD. According to GO and KEGG analyses, LINC02390-related genes were identified potentially involved in immune-related signaling pathways. Gene mutations and their relationship with immune cell infiltration were verified through the online cbioportal and TIMER database.

Results: CD69 was found to positively associate with CD8 + T cells and CLECL1 was also positively associated with CD4 + T cells. A high expression of CD69 in CD8 + T cells was identified through the single-cell sequencing dataset GSE111894. Finally, CLECL1 and CD69 were lowly expressed in clinical tissue samples with LUAD by immunohistochemical staining.

Conclusions: LINC02390 and its possible target genes, CLECL1 and CD69, may be potential targets for the immunotherapy in LUAD patients.