Analysis of the Expression of m6A Modified Regulatory Factors in Cervical Cancer Based on Bioinformatics and Their Correlation with Immune Cell Infiltration and Prognosis

AIYIZADAN Yumai; ZOU Junkai; XIAYILA Aihmaiti; ZHANG Chunyu

doi:10.3639/j.issn.2095-3097.2025.09.013

Abstract：Objective To analyze the expression of N6-methyladenosine(m6A)modification regulators in cervical cancer and their correlation with immune cell infiltration and prognosis based on bioinformatics.Methods RNA sequencing(RNAseq)data related to cervical cancer were retrieved from the TCGA and GEO databases.The expression levels and prognostic value of m6A regulators were analyzed,along with their relationship with clinicopathological characteristics of cervical cancer patients and immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment.Gene enrichment analysis was performed to analyze the biological roles of genes related to m6A modification regulators in cervical cancer.Results Compared with normal tissues and paracancerous tissues,the levels of m6A modification regulators were elevated in cervical cancer tissues(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the cut-off value of m6A modification regulators for diagnosing cervical cancer was 1.535,with an area under the curve of 0.896(95%CI:0.872-0.919),indicating significant diagnostic efficacy.Cox regression analysis showed that age and clinical stage Ⅳ were independent risk factors for overall survival in cervical cancer.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that embryonic lethal abnormal vision-like protein 1(ELAVL1)was a protective factor;while heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C,leucine-rich pentatricopeptide repeat containing protein,and methyltransferase-like 3(METTL3)were risk factors.Cervical cancer patients with high expression of m6A modification regulators had a poor prognosis.Furthermore,m6A modification regulators showed negative correlation with CD4+T cells,CD8+T cells,macrophages,neutrophils,and mast cells,and positive correlation with helper T cells and Th2 cells(P<0.05).Compared with paracancerous tissues,cervical cancer tissues showed increased levels of METTL3 and decreased levels of ELAVL1(P<0.05).Compared with the negative control group,the number of invading and migrating cervical cancer cells was significantly reduced after transfection with m6A modification regulators.Conclusion m6A modification regulators are closely associated with the prognosis of cervical cancer and immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment.They are not only potential biomarkers for diagnosing cervical cancer and evaluating prognosis but also can provide important guidance for developing subsequent immunotherapy strategies.