Project description:PurposeUveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary malignant tumor with poor prognosis. The role of metabolism-related genes in the prognosis of UM remains unrevealed. This study aimed to establish and validate a prognostic prediction model for UM based on metabolism-related genes.MethodsGene expression profiles and clinicopathological information were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas, and the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Univariable Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression, and stepwise regression were performed to establish the model. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and calibration and discrimination analyses were used to evaluate the prognostic model.ResultsThree metabolism-related genes, carbonic anhydrase 12, acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 3, and synaptojanin 2, and three clinicopathological parameters (i.e., age, gender, and metastasis staging) were identified to establish the model. The risk score was found to be an independent prognostic factor for UM survival. High-risk patients demonstrated significantly poorer prognosis than low-risk patients. ROC analysis suggested the promising prognostic efficiency of the model. The calibration curve manifested satisfactory agreement between the predicted and observed risk. A nomogram and online survival calculator were developed to predict the survival probability.ConclusionsThe novel metabolism-based prognostic model could accurately predict the prognosis of UM patients, which facilitates the prediction of the survival probability by both ophthalmologists and patients with the online dynamic nomogram.Translational relevanceThe dynamic nomogram links gene expression profiles to clinical prognosis of UM and is useful to evaluate the survival probability.
Project description:Uveal melanoma (UM) is a deadly ocular malignancy, originating from uveal melanocytes. Although much is known regarding prognostication in UM, the exact mechanism of metastasis is mostly unknown. Metastatic tumor cells are known to express a more stem-like RNA profile which is seen often in cell-specific embryonic development to induce tumor progression. Here, we identified novel transcription regulators by reanalyzing publicly available single cell RNA sequencing experiments. We identified five transcription regulators of interest: ELL2, KDM5B, REXO4, RBFOX2 and FOXD1. Our most significant finding is FOXD1, as this gene is nearly exclusively expressed in high-risk UM and its expression is associated with a poor prognosis. Even within the BAP1-mutated UM, the expression of FOXD1 is correlated with poor survival. FOXD1 is a novel factor which could potentially be involved in the metastatic capacity of high-risk UM. Elucidating the function of FOXD1 in UM could provide insight into the malignant transformation of uveal melanocytes, especially in high-risk UM.
Project description:BackgroundUveal melanoma (UVM) stands as the predominant type of primary intraocular malignancy among adults. The clinical significance of N7-methylguanosine (m7G), a prevalent RNA modifications, in UVM remains unclear.MethodsPrimary information from 80 UVM patients were analyzed as the training set, incorporating clinical information, mutation annotations and mRNA expression obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) website. The validation set was carried out using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database GSE22138 and GSE84976. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression of univariate analyses were subjected to identify m7G-related regulators as prognostic genes.ResultA prognostic risk model comprising EIF4E2, NUDT16, SNUPN and WDR4 was established through Cox regression of LASSO. Evaluation of the model's predictability for UVM patients' prognosis by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves in the training set, demonstrated excellent performance Area Under the Curve (AUC) > 0.75. The high-risk prognosis within the TCGA cohort exhibit a notable worse outcome. Additionally, an independent correlation between the risk score and overall survival (OS) among UVM patients were identified. External validation of this model was carried out using the validation sets (GSE22138 and GSE84976). Immune-related analysis revealed that patients with high score of m7G-related risk model exhibited elevated level of immune infiltration and immune checkpoint gene expression.ConclusionWe have developed a risk prediction model based on four m7G-related regulators, facilitating effective estimate UVM patients' survival by clinicians. Our findings shed novel light on essential role of m7G-related regulators in UVM and suggest potential novel targets for the diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of UVM.
Project description:AimTo determine whether BAP1 gene and protein expression associates with different prognostic parameters in uveal melanoma and whether BAP1 expression correctly identifies patients as being at risk for metastases, following enucleation of the primary tumour.MethodsThirty cases of uveal melanoma obtained by enucleation between 1999 and 2004 were analysed for a variety of prognostic markers, including histological characteristics, chromosome aberrations obtained by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and gene expression profiling. These parameters were compared with BAP1 gene expression and BAP1 immunostaining.ResultsThe presence of monosomy of chromosome 3 as identified by the different chromosome 3 tests showed significantly increased HRs (FISH on isolated nuclei cut-off 30%: HR 11.6, p=0.002; SNP analysis: HR 20.3, p=0.004) for death due to metastasis. The gene expression profile class 2, based on the 15-gene expression profile, similarly provided a significantly increased HR for a poor outcome (HR 8.5, p=0.005). Lower BAP1 gene expression and negative BAP1 immunostaining (50% of 28 tumours were immunonegative) were both associated with these markers for prognostication: FISH cut-off 30% monosomy 3 (BAP1 gene expression: p=0.037; BAP1 immunostaining: p=0.001), SNP-monosomy 3 (BAP1 gene expression: p=0.008; BAP1 immunostaining: p=0.002) and class 2 profile (BAP1 gene expression: p<0.001; BAP1 immunostaining: p=0.001) and were themselves associated with an increased risk of death due to metastasis (BAP1 gene expression dichotomised: HR 8.7, p=0.006; BAP1 immunostaining: HR 4.0, p=0.010).ConclusionsLoss of BAP1 expression associated well with all of the methods currently used for prognostication and was itself predictive of death due to metastasis in uveal melanoma after enucleation, thereby emphasising the importance of further research on the role of BAP1 in uveal melanoma.
Project description:AimThis study explored uveal melanoma patient experiences and regret following molecular prognostic testing using a 15-gene expression profile (GEP) test.Materials & methodsA retrospective, cross-sectional survey study was conducted through an online questionnaire capturing patient-reported experiences with prognostic biopsy/molecular testing.ResultsOf 177 respondents, 159 (90%) wanted prognostic information at diagnosis. Most 15-GEP-tested patients who shared their results (99%) reported gaining value from testing, as did patients tested with other methods. Patients who received prognostic testing experienced lower decision regret than those who opted out. Decision regret did not differ based on GEP class.ConclusionMost uveal melanoma patients desire prognostic testing and gain value from the GEP, independent of a high- or low-risk result.
Project description:The most common intraocular malignancy in adults remains uveal melanoma (UVM), and those with metastatic disease have a poor outlook. Proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis of tumor cells can be triggered by cuproptosis, affecting the survival of cancer patients. Nonetheless, cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) have not been identified in UVM. In this study, we analyzed 10 CRGs in 80 patients with UVM in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database regarding the alterations of the genes including copy number variation and methylation. We further constructed a prognostic gene model using these CRGs and built the risk score formula. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was applied to validate the risk score as an independent prognostic factor. The prognostic model was validated using 63 UVM samples from the GSE22138 cohort, an independent validation data set. Based on the risk scores for 80 patients with UVM from TCGA, we categorized the patients into high- and low-risk groups. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between groups were enriched in allograft rejection, hypoxia, glycolysis, TNFα signaling via NF-κB, and interferon-γ responses via Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). CD8 T cells and exhausted T cells were notably enriched in the high-risk group. In conclusion, the alteration of CRGs is related to patients with UVM, and the constructed CRG-related model may be helpful to predict the prognosis of such patients.
Project description:The present study aimed to assess the expression of legumain in uveal melanoma (UM) cell lines and primary UM specimens, and to determine the possible association between legumain expression and clinical as well as pathological characteristics to reveal its impact on the prognosis of patients with UM. Records of primary UM cases treated at Beijing Tongren Hospital and Tianjin Eye Hospital between 1996 and 2005 were retrieved for analysis and a total of 82 patients with uveal melanoma were included in the study. The expression of legumain in the formalin‑fixed and paraffin‑embedded surgical specimens of these 82 patients was determined using immunohistochemical analysis. In addition, the expression of legumain was examined in two uveal melanoma cell lines using polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses. The association of legumain expression with clinical/pathological characteristics was analyzed using the χ2 and Fisher's exact test. In addition, the impact of legumain on the prognosis of patients with uveal melanoma was examined. Upregulation of legumain was more predominant in the highly invasive uveal melanoma cell line MUM‑2B compared with that in the MUM‑2C with low invasiveness. Of 82 primary uveal melanoma tissues, 35 exhibited high expression of legumain, while the other 47 specimens exhibited low or negative expression of legumain. High legumain expression was primarily associated with local invasion of UM. Overall survival analysis revealed that the patients with high legumain expression exhibited poorer survival than patients with low/negative legumain expression. These findings suggested that upregulation of legumain is associated with malignant behavior of UM and that legumain may be used as an negative prognostic factor as well as a therapeutic target.
Project description:PurposeTo establish an easy and widely applicable prognostic prediction model for uveal melanoma (UM) based on a Chinese population.Patients and methodsA total of 295 consecutive cases treated at the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University were included as the primary cohort, and 256 cases were included in the validation cohorts from two external Caucasian databases. Clinicopathological data were collected retrospectively, and nomogram models were formulated based on multivariable analysis. The concordance index (C-index), AUC (area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic, ROC curve), and Brier score were calculated and compared.ResultsBased on the training cohort, a nomogram model was established with five relevant variables: age, tumor size, ciliary body involvement, non-spindle cell type and extra-scleral extension. The C-index was 0.737, the 3- and 5-year AUCs were 0.767 and 0.742, and the Brier scores for 3- and 5-year survival were 0.082 and 0.129, respectively, which showed superior prediction compared to that of the Tumor, Node and Metastasis staging system. The model also displayed good discrimination and calibration in the external validation cohorts. By risk stratification, patients could be divided into low- and high-risk groups, and the overall survival curves displayed significant differences in the training and validation cohorts.ConclusionOur nomogram model was simple and accurate at predicting the overall survival of patients with UM. It was established based on Asian patients and proved suitable for Caucasian patients; thus, it has a wide range of potential applications, especially for patients living in less medically developed countries and regions.
Project description:BackgroundUveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Many previous studies have demonstrated that the infiltrating of immune and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment contributes significantly to prognosis.MethodsDataset TCGA-UVM, download from TCGA portal, was taken as the training cohort, and GSE22138, obtained from GEO database, was set as the validation cohort. ESTIMATE algorithm was applied to find intersection differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among tumor microenvironment. Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariate Cox regression model were performed on intersection DEGs to initial screen for potential prognostic genes. Then these genes entered into the validation cohort for validation using the same methods as that in the training cohort. Moreover, we conducted correlation analyses between the genes obtained in the validation cohort and the status of chromosome 3, chromosome 8q, and tumor metastasis to get prognosis genes. At last, the immune infiltration analysis was performed between the prognostic genes and 6 main kinds of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) for understanding the role of the genes in the tumor microenvironment.Results959 intersection DEGs were found in the UM microenvironment. Kaplan-Meier and Cox analysis was then performed in the training and validation cohorts on these DEGs, and 52 genes were identified with potential prognostic value. After comparing the 52 genes to chromosome 3, chromosome 8q, and metastasis, we obtained 21 genes as the prognostic genes. The immune infiltration analysis showed that Neutrophil had the potential prognostic ability, and almost every prognostic gene we had identified was correlated with abundances of Neutrophil and CD8+ T Cell.ConclusionsIdentifying 21 prognosis genes (SERPINB9, EDNRB, RAPGEF3, HFE, RNF43, ZNF415, IL12RB2, MTUS1, NEDD9, ZNF667, AZGP1, WARS, GEM, RAB31, CALHM2, CA12, MYEOV, CELF2, SLCO5A1, ISM1, and PAPSS2) could accurately identify patients' prognosis and had close interactions with Neutrophil in the tumor environment, which may provide UM patients with personalized prognosis prediction and new treatment insights.
Project description:BackgroundUveal melanoma(UVM) is the most common intraocular malignancy and has a poor prognosis. The clinical significance of necroptosis(NCPS) in UVM is unclear.MethodsWe first identified necroptosis genes in UVM by single-cell analysis of the GSE139829 dataset from the GEO database and weighted co-expression network analysis of TCGA data. COX regression and Lasso regression were used to construct the prognostic model. Then survival analysis, immune microenvironment analysis, and mutation analysis were carried out. Finally, cell experiments were performed to verify the role of ITPA in UVM.ResultBy necroptosis-related prognostic model, UVM patients in both TCGA and GEO cohorts could be classified as high-NCPS and low-NCPS groups, with significant differences in survival time between the two groups (P<0.001). Besides, the high-NCPS group had higher levels of immune checkpoint-related gene expression, suggesting that they might be more likely to benefit from immunotherapy. The cell experiments confirmed the role of ITPA, the most significant gene in the model, in UVM. After ITPA was knocked down, the activity, proliferation, and invasion ability of the MuM-2B cell line were significantly reduced.ConclusionOur study can provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with UVM.