Ubiquitin–Proteasome System Dysregulation in Epstein–Barr Virus-Associated Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Associated Codes and Analysis

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by extensive immune infiltration, yet immune evasion remains a hallmark of the disease. This study integrates meta-analysis of bulk transcriptomic datasets with single-cell RNA sequencing data to elucidate EBV–host gene interactions, with a focus on the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS). Differentially expressed genes in NPC were identified from publicly available datasets and cross-referenced with EBV–human protein–protein interaction data to construct an interaction network. Network and enrichment analyses revealed that UPS-related genes are significantly dysregulated in EBV-associated NPC, correlating with immune evasion pathways, stemness features, and reduced proliferative signaling in UPS-high tumor cells. Single-cell mapping demonstrated that UPS activity defines distinct tumor cell phenotypes with potential prognostic implications. These findings highlight UPS dysregulation as a potential therapeutic target in EBV-associated NPC, warranting in vivo validation.EB病毒（Epstein–Barr virus，EBV）相关鼻咽癌（nasopharyngeal carcinoma，NPC）以广泛免疫浸润为典型特征，但免疫逃逸仍是该疾病的标志性特征。本研究整合批量转录组数据集的荟萃分析与单细胞RNA测序数据，以阐明EB病毒-宿主基因的相互作用机制，研究重点聚焦于泛素-蛋白酶体系统（ubiquitin–proteasome system，UPS）。研究人员从公开数据集中共鉴定出鼻咽癌的差异表达基因，并与EB病毒-人类蛋白质相互作用数据进行交叉比对，以此构建相互作用网络。网络分析与富集分析结果显示，与UPS相关的基因在EB病毒相关鼻咽癌中存在显著表达失调，且其表达水平与免疫逃逸通路、干细胞样特征及UPS高表达肿瘤细胞中减弱的增殖信号通路密切相关。单细胞测序图谱分析表明，UPS活性可界定出具有潜在预后意义的不同肿瘤细胞表型。本研究结果提示，UPS表达失调可作为EB病毒相关鼻咽癌的潜在治疗靶点，有待开展体内验证实验。