# Competitive Endogenous RNA Network Involving Immune Subgroups, Infiltration, and lncRNAs in Prostate Cancer

## TL;DR

This study explores how RNA networks involving immune cells and long non-coding RNAs influence prostate cancer progression and treatment response.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the identification of a ceRNA network linking immune subgroups, infiltration, and lncRNAs in prostate cancer.

## Key findings

- A ceRNA network involving four lncRNAs, three miRNAs, and 27 mRNAs was constructed based on immune scores from 481 PCa samples.
- Seven immune cell types were significantly associated with clinical features and showed prognostic significance in multiple cancers.
- A strong correlation (r = 0.6) was found between Th1 cells and lncRNA network modules, suggesting immune therapy biomarker potential.

## Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in the male genitourinary tract. However, the regulatory mechanism of competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) in PCa remains unclear. In this study, we first performed immune scores of mRNA data from 481 PCa samples using single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA). Based on the immune scores, we then evaluated the tumor immune microenvironment and analyzed 28 types of immune cells in PCa, we constructed a comprehensive network with four lncRNAs (MEG3, PCAT1, SNHG19, TRG-AS1), three miRNAs (hsa-miR-488-3p, hsa-miR-210-5p, hsa-miR-137), and twenty-seven mRNAs (including H2AFJ, THBS1, HPGD). Among the 28 immune cell types, seven immune cell types were found to be significantly associated with clinical characteristics. These network nodes have prognostic significance in multiple cancers and play critical roles in malignancy development, indicating the network’s predictive capability. We also observed a strong correlation (r = 0.6) between T-helper type 1 (Th1) cells and lncRNA network modules. The network connectivity highlights the association between immune therapy biomarkers for PCa, particularly those related to H2AFJ, THBS1, and HPGD. These findings provide valuable insights into the ceRNA regulatory network and its implications for immune-based therapies in PCa.