Prognostic Relevance of <i>FOS</i> and <i>JUN</i> Family Members and Immune Cell Infiltration for the Survival of Patients With Ovarian Carcinoma

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIM: Ovarian carcinoma is a difficult-to-treat cancer. It is often resistant to chemotherapy and targeted therapy. The 5-year survival rates of patients with advanced tumors are usually below 40%. Immunotherapy represents an emerging treatment option. We investigated the prognostic significance of the oncogenic transcription factor AP-1, formed by the dimerization of FOS and JUN family members. PATIENTS AND METHODS: ) was based on RNA sequencing. To estimate immune response, increased or decreased tumor infiltration of immune cells was assessed. RESULTS: ), combined with decreased counts of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, regulatory T cells, or natural killer cells, correlated with shorter survival. Conversely, increased tumor infiltration with type 2 T helper cells or basophilic granulocytes and JUNB-containing AP-1 dimers also correlated with poor overall survival. CONCLUSION: Specific combinations of AP-1 dimer components were of prognostic value for shorter overall survival and were associated with immune cell infiltration linked to "cold" phenotypes non-responsive to immunotherapy. JUNB-containing AP-1 dimers may promote immune evasion and tumor-progressing immune responses. Our results may help identify high-risk patients and support the evaluation of JUNB-containing AP-1 dimers as prognostic factors for ovarian carcinoma.