A Novel Necroptosis-Associated IncRNAs Signature for Prognosis of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: The prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is poor. Necroptosis is a novel programmed form of necrotic cell death. The prognostic value of necroptosis-associated lncRNAs expression in HNSCC has not been explored. Methods: We downloaded mRNA expression data of HNSCC patients from TCGA databases. Prognostic lncRNAs were identified by univariate Cox regression. LASSO was used to establish a model with necroptosis-related lncRNAs. Kaplan-Meier analysis and ROC were applied to verify the model. Finally, functional studies including gene set enrichment analyses, immune microenvironment analysis, and anti-tumor compound IC50 prediction were performed. Results: We identified 1,117 necroptosis-related lncRNAs. The Cox regression showed 55 lncRNAs were associated with patient survival (p < 0.05). The risk model of 24- lncRNAs signature categorized patients into high and low risk groups. The patients in the low-risk group survived longer than the high-risk group (p < 0.001). Validation assays including ROC curve, nomogram and correction curves confirmed the prediction capability of the 24-lncRNA risk mode. Functional studies showed the two patient groups had distinct immunity conditions and IC50. Conclusion: The 24-lncRNA model has potential to guide treatment of HNSCC. Future clinical studies are needed to verify the model.