TRAF2 Expression and Its Prognostic Significance in Tumor Microenvironments: A Comprehensive Analysis

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor-2 (TRAF2) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase and scaffolding protein known to contribute to the progression of various malignant tumors. However, the relationship between TRAF2 expression and gene methylation, cancer prognosis, and immune responses in the tumor microenvironment is unclear. We found that TRAF2 is significantly overexpressed in 17 different cancer types and is strongly associated with a poor prognosis. In addition, TRAF2 was found to be strongly associated with immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment and the efficacy of immunotherapy, specifically in terms of a strong association with T cells. The results of our in vitro experimental studies confirmed that the loss of TRAF2 function inhibits the malignant biological behavior of HepG2 cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. This study emphasizes the potential of TRAF2 as a promising prognostic biomarker and a potential target for cancer immunotherapy, especially benefiting patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.肿瘤坏死因子（Tumor necrosis factor, TNF）受体相关因子2（TRAF2）是一种E3泛素连接酶与支架蛋白，已知其参与多种恶性肿瘤的进展过程。然而目前关于TRAF2表达与基因甲基化、癌症预后以及肿瘤微环境中免疫应答之间的关联仍不明确。本研究发现，TRAF2在17种不同癌症类型中均显著高表达，且与不良预后密切相关。此外，本研究还证实TRAF2与肿瘤微环境中的免疫细胞浸润及免疫治疗疗效存在显著关联，尤其与T细胞的相关性较强。体外实验研究结果表明，TRAF2功能缺失可抑制肝细胞癌HepG2细胞的恶性生物学行为。本研究凸显了TRAF2作为极具前景的预后生物标志物以及癌症免疫治疗潜在靶点的潜力，尤其可为肝细胞癌患者带来获益。