Prognostic Implications of Pyroptosis-Related Gene Signatures in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background: Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) has been a highly malignant tumor with very poor prognosis. It is confirmed that pyroptosis refers to the deaths of cells in a programmed and inflammatory manner. Nevertheless, the correlation between expression of genes related with pyroptosis and their prognosis remains uncertain in LUSC. Methods: Utilization of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort has been done for evaluating the prognostics of pyroptosis-related genes for survival and constructing a signature with multiple genes. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression was performed for establishing such pyroptosis-related gene signature. Results: Eventually, identification of 28 genes in relation to pyroptosis was made in LUSC and healthy lung tissues. Upon the basis of these differentially-expressed genes (DEGs), the patients of LUSC can be divided into two subtypes. Nine gene signatures were established using LASSO. The surviving rate for low-risk group was apparently greater in contrast with the high-risk group (p < .001). According to our finding, risk score worked as an independent predictive factor of OS among LUSC sufferers in combination with clinical characteristics. In line with Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses, the enrichment of immunity-related genes and decreasing immunity status among the high-risk group. Conclusion: Genes in relation with pyroptosis played an essential role in tumor immunity, which is capable of predicting the prognosis for LUSCs.