The role of SLC16A11 in the survival and immune infiltrates of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients

SLC16A11 (solute carrier family 16, member 11, also termed MCT11), a poorly characterized proton-coupled monocarboxylate transporter distinct from the well-studied MCT1/4, mediates transmembrane lactate transport and participates in immune cell metabolic homeostasis; however, its prognostic value and immune-regulatory function in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain largely uncharacterized. SLC16A11 expression was evaluated using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases. The impact of SLC16A11 expression on LUAD patient survival was analyzed via TIMER and PrognoScan databases. Correlations between SLC16A11 expression and immune infiltrates, as well as gene marker sets of immune infiltrates, were assessed using TIMER. The prognostic value of SLC16A11 was further validated by immunofluorescence analysis in clinical samples. SLC16A11 expression was significantly downregulated in LUAD tissues compared with normal tissues ( P < 0.001). Low SLC16A11 expression was associated with poor survival in LUAD patients ( P < 0.001). TIMER analysis showed that SLC16A11 expression was positively correlated with B lymphocyte and CD4 + T cells infiltration, but negatively correlated with CD8 + T cells and neutrophil infiltration (all P < 0.001). Immunofluorescence staining of 33 LUAD tissues revealed high SLC16A11 expression in 17 cases (51.5%) and low expression in 16 cases (48.5%). Kaplan-Meier analysis confirmed that low SLC16A11 expression was associated with reduced overall survival ( P = 0.0078), though no significant correlations were observed between SLC16A11 expression and CD4 + or CD8 + T cells in clinical samples. Clinical validation confirms the association between SLC16A11 expression and LUAD prognosis, indicating that SLC16A11 may represent a novel potential target for LUAD immunotherapy. Not applicable.