The construction and analysis of a prognostic model based on CD8 + T cell immune-related genes in hepatocellular carcinoma

The effector functions of CD8⁺ T cell significantly influence the immunosuppressive microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is intricately associated with HCC prognosis. Nevertheless, a comprehensive investigation into the relationship between CD8⁺ T cell immune-related genes and HCC prognosis remains lacking. This study aimed to construct a prognostic model for HCC using CD8⁺ T cell immune-related genes to provide insights for clinical management and prognosis. A prognostic model was constructed by incorporating 16 CD8⁺ T cell-specific immune-related genes, yielding area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.821, 0.796, and 0.784 for the prediction of 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival, respectively, via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The qRT-PCR results showed that the mRNA levels of PTMA, RAC1, HSPD1, HSP90AA1, and TANK were significantly higher in HCC cells compared to normal cells (p < 0.05). Further analysis focused on the TANK gene, which was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues (p < 0.05). The CCK-8 and wound healing assays revealed a significant decrease in both the cell proliferation rate and wound-healing rate in the TANK-deficient group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). These findings may offer new insights into the clinical treatment and prognostic evaluation of HCC.