An immune-related miRNA signature predicts the prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a significant role in the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), particularly in relation to immune responses. This study aims to identify immune-related miRNAs that contribute to the development of a prognostic signature for overall survival (OS) in NPC patients. Methods: Differentially expressed miRNAs between NPC and normal nasopharyngeal tissues were identified using GSE70970, GSE32960, and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-NPC datasets. Univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to find miRNAs associated with OS. The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator algorithm was conducted on the GSE70970 cohort to create a risk signature, stratifying patients into high- and low-risk groups based on the median risk score. Results: The immune-related miRNA signature included six specific miRNAs: hsa-miR-523, hsa-miR-130a, hsa-miR-342-3p, hsa-miR-320b, hsa-miR-1181, and hsa-miR-150. Patients classified into the high-risk score group exhibited poorer prognoses. The prognostic signature demonstrated its significance as an independent predictor of OS. Furthermore, high-risk patients presented distinct gene mutation statuses and increased stemness scores. Conclusions: The developed immune-related miRNA prognostic signature provided an accurate prediction of NPC prognosis. Additionally, the accompanying nomogram offered a practical tool for estimating patient OS, potentially aiding clinical decision-making.