Overexpression of NLRPs as Independent Indicator for Prognosis of Patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

NOD-like receptor proteins (NLRPs) are an important part of gene regulation and play a vital role in many cancers. Recently, some studies have shown that members of the NLRP family are a crucial component in the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and can be used as the main therapeutic targets. To explore this hypothesis, bioinformatics analyses using Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), Oncomine, UALCAN, the Human Protein Atlas, and the cBioPortal database were performed in this study to determine the intracellular roles and functions of NLRPs. String and Cytoscape were also employed to investigate and visualize the proteins in intracellular pathways related to the regulation of HNSCC carcinogenesis. Further analysis revealed that the overexpression of NLRPs was significantly related to the HNSCC stage and the survival of patients. We also explored the miRNAs downstream of NLRPs involved in nasopharyngeal carcinoma using GEO2R, TargetScan, and miRDB, and found that NLRPs can serve as prognostic biomarkers for the survival of HNSCC patients.