Metabolism-Related Bioinformatics Analysis Reveals That HPRT1 Facilitates the Progression of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Vitro

OBJECTIVES: Many studies have shown that dysregulation of metabolism contributes to oncogenesis. However, the exact roles of metabolism-related genes (MRGs) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unclear. Thus, we aimed to identify a prognostic signature related to MRGs in OSCC. METHODS: The gene sequencing data of OSCC samples and the MRG set were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB). The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to identify differentially expressed MRGs. Then, a prognostic signature was established by multivariate Cox regression analysis. Finally, prognosis-related MRGs were selected and further validated in OSCC tissues and cell lines. RESULTS: A prognostic signature that included 8 MRGs was constructed. Multiple survival analysis revealed that only HPRT1 might be an independent biomarker and indicator of poor overall survival in OSCC patients. The expression of HPRT1 was then found to be upregulated in OSCC tissues and cell lines, and suppression of HPRT1 gene expression by siRNA inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: MRGs play an important role in the development of OSCC. Furthermore, HPRT1 might be an independent biomarker of OSCC and enhance OSCC proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro; these results emphasize the potential utility of HPRT1 in OSCC therapy.