Identification of the immune subtype of ovarian cancer patients by integrated analyses of transcriptome and single-cell sequencing data

Sixue Wang; Xi Wang; Xiaomeng Xia; Tingting Zhang; Mingyu Yi; Zeying Li; Li Jiang; Yalan Yang; Jie Fu; Xiaoling Fang

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-17645-7

Identification of the immune subtype of ovarian cancer patients by integrated analyses of transcriptome and single-cell sequencing data

Sci Rep. 2022 Aug 2;12(1):13296. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-17645-7.

Authors

Sixue Wang¹, Xi Wang¹, Xiaomeng Xia¹, Tingting Zhang¹, Mingyu Yi¹, Zeying Li¹, Li Jiang¹, Yalan Yang¹, Jie Fu², Xiaoling Fang³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
² Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China. fujie2016@csu.edu.cn.
³ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China. fxlfxl0510@csu.edu.cn.

Abstract

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one the most life-threatening cancers affecting women's health worldwide. Immunotherapy has become a promising treatment for a variety of cancers, but the therapeutic effects in OC remain limited. In this study, we constructed a macrophage risk score (MRS) based on M1 and M2 macrophages and a gene risk score (GRS) based on the prognostic genes associated with MRS. Next, cell-cell communication analysis was performed using single-cell RNA (scRNA) sequencing data. Survival status and immune characteristics were compared between the high- and low-score groups separated by MRS or GRS. Our results suggested that MRS and GRS can identify the immune subtypes of OC patients with better overall survival (OS) and inflammatory immune microenvironment. Moreover, M1 and M2 macrophages may affect the prognosis of OC patients through signal communication with CD8 T cells. Finally, functional differences between the two groups separated by GRS were elucidated. Taken together, this study constructed two useful models for the identification of immune subtypes in OC, which has a better prognosis and may have a sensitive response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The hub genes for the construction of GRS may be potential synergetic targets for immunotherapy in OC patients.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial / genetics
Female
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
Humans
Ovarian Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Ovarian Neoplasms* / therapy
Prognosis
Transcriptome*
Tumor Microenvironment / genetics

Substances

Biomarkers, Tumor