Association of TOP2A and ADH1B with lipid levels and prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma

Background Although lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) have different pathological and clinical features, they may share common driver genes. It was found that lipid levels can be used for early diagnosis of NSCLC; however, the relationship between driver genes and genes regulating lipid metabolism and their relationship with patient prognosis needs further investigation. Methods Genes whose expression was up‐ or down‐regulated in both LUAD and LUSC were identified using the GEO database. Online tools like GEPIA 2, PrognoScan, UALCAN, and TIMER2.0 were used to investigate the association of these gene expressions with the patient's prognosis and lipid regulatory genes. The association between clinical lipid levels and the risk of LUAD and LUSC was analyzed by using a multiple logistic regression model. Results Topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) and alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) were identified as the only genes up‐ and down‐regulated in both LUAD and LUSC. TOP2A and ADH1B expression levels significantly correlated with the patient's gender, age, individual cancer stage, histological subtype, nodal metastasis status, and TP53 mutation status. Additionally, only LUAD patients with higher TOP2A or lower ADH1B expressions displayed poor overall and relapse‐free survival rates. Moreover, TOP2A levels exhibited a negative correlation with adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and ATP‐binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) in both LUAD and LUSC. However, ADH1B showed inverse associations with the above‐mentioned genes when compared to TOP2A expressions in both LUAD and LUSC. Furthermore, elevated triglyceride (OR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.01 to 2.49; P