Construction of a risk signature for adrenocortical carcinoma using immune-related genes

Figures

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  Figure 1. Relationships between the immune score and overall survival (A), clinical stage (B), gender (C), T classification (D), N classification (E) and M classification (F). Genes differentially expressed between ACC tissue samples and normal adrenal gland samples are illustrated using a heatmap (G) and volcano plot (H). We extracted differentially expressed IRGs using a heatmap (I) and volcano plot (J). We screened differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs) via a heatmap (K) and volcano plot (L). GO analysis of differentially expressed IRGs was performed and visualized via a bar plot (M) and dot plot (N). KEGG analysis of differentially expressed IRGs was performed and visualized via a bar plot (O) and dot plot (P). IRGs associated with survival were determined with a P value <0.01 set as the cutoff value in univariate Cox regression (Q). A PPI network (score >0.4) was established to assess relationships among IRGs associated with survival in ACC patients (R). The PPI network showed that IL-6 contained the largest number of edges; thus, it was identified as the hub gene of IRGs associated with survival in ACC. We visualized the number of gene edges in the PPI network using a…

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  Figure 2. Increased expression of AMH was significantly related to an advanced clinical stage (Aa) and a high T classification (Ab). Increased expression of BIRC5 was significantly related to an advanced clinical stage (Ba), a high T classification (Bb) and a high M classification (Bc). Decreased expression of CCL14 was significantly related to an advanced clinical stage (Ca), a high T classification (Cb), a high N classification (Cc) and a high M classification (Cd). Overexpression of CCL22 was significantly related to female (D). Decreased expression of CXCL1 (E), FPR2 (F), or HLA-G (G) was significantly related to high N classification. Downregulation of KCNH2 expression was significantly related to a high T classification (H). Downregulation of QRFP expression was significantly related to an advanced clinical stage (Ia) and high T (Ib), N (Ic), and M (Id) classifications. Increased expression of SEMG1 was significantly related to an advanced clinical stage (Ja) and high T (Jb), N (Jc), and M (Jd) classifications. Decreased expression of SLPI was significantly related to an advanced clinical stage (Ka) and high T (Kb) and M (Kc) classifications. Increased expression of TMSB15A was…

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  Figure 3. Expression of included IRGs in different groups (A). The distribution of ACC patients into different groups (B). Survival status of the patients in the high-risk group or the low-risk group (C). The AUC was 0.970 (D). The results of Fisher’s exact tests and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that a high risk score was significantly related to a poor OS (E). Univariate Cox regression demonstrated that clinical stage, T classification, M classification and the risk score could predict OS (F). Multivariate Cox regression showed that T classification and the risk score were independent prognostic factors (G). ACC, adrenocortical carcinoma; IRGs, immune-related genes; AUC, area under curve; ROC, receiver operating characteristic; OS, overall survival.