Expression, Prognosis, and Immune Infiltrates Analyses of E2Fs in Human Brain and CNS Cancer

We investigated the expression patterns, potential functions, unique prognostic value, and potential therapeutic targets of E2Fs in brain and CNS cancer and tumor-infiltrating immune cell microenvironments.

We analyzed E2F mRNA expression levels in diverse cancer types via Oncomine and GEPIA databases, respectively. Moreover, we evaluated the prognostic values using GEPIA database and TCGAportal database and the correlation of E2F expression with immune infiltration and the correlation between immune cell infiltration and GBM and LGG prognosis via TIMER database. Then, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA, and DAVID databases were used for mutation analysis, PPI network analysis of coexpressed gene, and functional enrichment analysis.

E2F1-8 expression increased in most cancers, including brain and CNS cancer. Higher expression in E2F1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8 indicated poor OS of LGG. Higher E2F3-6 and E2F1-8 expressions correlated with poor prognosis and increased immune infiltration levels in CD8+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and DCs in GBM and CD8+ T cells, B cells, CD4+ T cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and DCs in LGG, respectively.

E2F1-8 and E2F2-8 could be hopeful prognostic biomarkers of GBM and LGG, respectively. E2F3-6 and E2F1-8 could be likely therapeutic targets in patients with immune cell infiltration of GBM and LGG, respectively.