Purpose

At present, dysfunctional CD8⁺ T-cells in the nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) have caused unsatisfactory immunotherapeutic effects, such as a low response rate of anti-PD-L1 therapy. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify reliable markers capable of accurately predicting immunotherapy efficacy.

Methods

Utilizing various algorithms for immune-infiltration evaluation, we explored the role of EIF3C in the TIME. We next found the influence of EIF3C expression on NPC based on functional analyses and RNA sequencing. By performing correlation and univariate Cox analyses of CD8⁺ Tcell markers from scRNA-seq data, we identified four signatures, which were then used in conjunction with the lasso algorithm to determine corresponding coefficients in the resulting EIF3C-related CD8⁺ T-cell signature (ETS). We subsequently evaluated the prognostic value of ETS using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, Kaplan–Meier curves, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC).

Results

Our results demonstrate a significant relationship between low expression of EIF3C and high levels of CD8⁺ T-cell infiltration in the TIME, as well as a correlation between EIF3C expression and progression of NPC. Based on the expression levels of four EIF3C-related CD8⁺ T-cell marker genes, we constructed the ETS predictive model for NPC prognosis, which demonstrated success in validation. Notably, our model can also serve as an accurate indicator for detecting immunotherapy response.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that EIF3C plays a significant role in NPC progression and immune modulation, particularly in CD8⁺ T-cell infiltration. Furthermore, the ETS model holds promise as both a prognostic predictor for NPC patients and a tool for adjusting individualized immunotherapy strategies.