AUTHOR=Li Jinyun , Ye Meng , Zhou Chongchang 

TITLE=Expression Profile and Prognostic Values of HOXA Family Members in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Cancer

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2020.00368

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2020.00368

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>The homeobox A cluster (<italic>HOXA</italic>) gene family, comprising 11 members, is involved in a wide spectrum of biological functions in human cancers. However, there is little research on the expression profile and prognostic values of <italic>HOXA</italic> genes in laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC). Based on updated public resources and integrative bioinformatics analysis, we assessed the expression profile and prognostic values of the <italic>HOXA</italic> family members. Expression and methylation data on <italic>HOXA</italic> family members were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The prognostic values of <italic>HOXA</italic> members and clinical features were identified. A gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to explore the mechanism underlying the involvement of <italic>HOXA</italic> members in LSCC. The associations between tumor immune infiltrating cells (TIICs) and the <italic>HOXA</italic> family members were evaluated using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database. <italic>HOXA2</italic> and <italic>HOXA4</italic> were downregulated and <italic>HOXA7</italic> and <italic>HOXA9</italic>–<italic>13</italic> were upregulated in LSCC. Upregulation of <italic>HOXA10, HOXA11</italic>, and <italic>HOXA13</italic>, along with two clinical characteristics (M stage and gender), were associated with a poor LSCC prognosis based on the results of univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Although there were no significant correlations between TIICs and <italic>HOXA</italic> members, the GSEA results indicated that <italic>HOXA</italic> members participate in multiple biological processes underlying tumorigenesis. This study comprehensively analyzed the <italic>HOXA</italic> members, providing insights for further investigation of the <italic>HOXA</italic> family members as potential targets in LSCC.</p>