Comprehensive Bioinformatics Analysis of Differential Gene Expression Differences between Lung Adenocarcinoma and Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Authors

  • Duoduo Qian

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61173/w2kcdq32

Keywords:

TCGA, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), bioinformatics, differential gene expression, disease-free survival (DFS), pathway enrichment, KEGG, GEPIA

Abstract

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) are the two most prevalent histological subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), each of which exhibits distinct molecular characteristics and requires subtype-specific treatment strategies. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the differential gene expression profiles between LUAD and LUSC to identify subtype-specific biomarkers and pathogenic pathways. Using RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), this study performed differential gene expression analysis with DESeq2, disease-free survival analysis via GEPIA, and pathway enrichment analysis using Enrichr with the KEGG 2021 Human database. A total of 29,052 and 28,866 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in LUAD and LUSC respectively. Key up-regulated genes in LUAD, including FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1, were significantly associated with poor disease-free survival (HR = 1.5, p = 0.0048; HR = 1.6, p = 0.0024), while down-regulated PECAM1 showed protective effects (HR = 0.71, p = 0.03). Pathway analysis revealed significant dysregulation of the cell cycle pathway in both subtypes, with LUAD showing stronger association. The DNA replication pathway was notably prominent in LUSC, while a unique malaria pathway was identified in LUAD. The research findings underscore the molecular heterogeneity between LUAD and LUSC, highlighting potential prognostic biomarkers like FAM83A and subtype-specific pathogenic pathways, which could inform the development of precise therapeutic interventions between LUAD and LUSC.

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Published

2025-10-23