Transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing uncover prognostic characteristics and immune regulatory mechanisms of lactylation in cervical cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Lactylation, an emerging post-translational modification, modulates tumor metabolism and gene expression, thereby influencing the initiation and progression of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC). This study aims to identify lactylation-associated prognostic features in CESC through the integration of transcriptomic data and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). METHODS: Publicly available datasets were utilized for this study. Lactylation-related genes (LRGs) linked to CESC prognosis were found through analysis. Key prognostic genes include PGK1, PFKP, DDX39A, RFC4, WAS, and PFKM, with PFKP identified as a risk factor. RESULTS: The risk model demonstrated strong predictive performance, and immune infiltration analysis revealed elevated levels of immune cells, with CD8+ T cells negatively correlating with risk. ScRNA-seq analysis identified three distinct cell types, with CD8+ T cells showing a distinct developmental trajectory, marked by a reduction in early-stage cells and an accumulation of late-stage cells within the CESC microenvironment. Moreover, the expression of prognostic genes was elevated during the later stages of CD8+ T cell differentiation. CONCLUSION: LRGs demonstrated significant prognostic value in CESC and accurately predicted patient outcomes. Furthermore, the study underscored the pivotal role of CD8+ T cells in the progression of CESC.