Roles of E2F family members in the diagnosis and prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most prevalent cancer worldwide. E2Fs are a group of transcription factors involved in the carcinogenesis and progression of various cancers. However, the exact roles of each member of E2F family in the development and progression of HNSCC are still unknown. Methods RNASeq and clinical follow-up information were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The expressions of E2Fs and their roles in HNSCC progression were explored using the R software and the cBioPortal database. Results Our results showed that the mRNA levels of E2Fs were significantly higher in HNSCC tumors than in normal tissues. E2F1, E2F3, E2F4, E2F6, and E2F7 were identified as reliable diagnostic markers. E2Fs (except for E2F3) expressions were closely related to the clinical features (excluding metastasis) of HNSCC. High E2F6 mRNA expression was an independent risk factor for the OS of female HNSCC patients. In addition, high E2F4 expression could lead to poor prognosis in HNSCC in both males and females, high expressions of E2F5, E2F6, and E2F7 were associated with poor OS of female HNSCC patients, while high E2F2 and E2F8 expressions were positively correlated with the OS of male HNSCC patients. Interestingly, E2Fs expressions had stronger associations with immune cell infiltrations in male HNSCC patients than in female HNSCC patients. Conclusion The expressions of E2Fs were found to be correlated with the progression of HNSCC. E2F1, E2F3, E2F4, E2F6, and E2F7 could be good diagnostic molecules for HNSCC. In addition, E2F6 was an independent risk factor for the prognosis of female HNSCC patients.

Blue light aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy downregulates cell division and proliferation pathways in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

“…Transcription factors associated with cancer proliferation and pathogenesis and known to be upregulated in cSCC, including E2F4 and FOXM1, were found in our study to be downregulated post‐5‐ALA PDT [32–34]. The E2F family of transcription factors bind to DNA and Rb and regulate the cell cycle [32].…”

“…E2F4 is a transcriptional activator. Upregulation of E2F transcription factors has been linked to cancer progression in head and neck SCC [32]. FOXM1 is an ultraviolet master regulator and is upregulated in cSCC [33,35,36].…”

Blue Light Aminolevulinic Acid Photodynamic Therapy Downregulates Cell Division and Proliferation Pathways in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…Transcription factors associated with cancer proliferation and pathogenesis and known to be upregulated in cSCC, including E2F4 and FOXM1, were found in our study to be downregulated post ALA PDT. [32][33][34] The E2F family of transcription factors bind to DNA and Rb and regulate the cell cycle. 32 E2F4 is a transcriptional activator.…”

“…Upregulation of E2F transcription factors has been linked to cancer progression in head and neck SCC. 32 FOXM1 is an ultraviolet master regulator and is upregulated in cSCC. 33,35,36 Inhibition of FOXM1 with thiostrepton and CRISPR depletion led to decreased cell viability and proliferation in cSCC.…”

The predictive value of E2F7 in immunotherapy efficacy for lung adenocarcinoma: An observational study

“…[ 13 , 14 ] Studies have shown that the expression of E2F7 was associated with immune checkpoints and immune cell infiltration. [ 15 , 16 ] The expression of E2F7 in renal cell carcinoma was positively correlated with the infiltration rate of B lymphocytes, CD8 + T lymphocytes, CD4 + T lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells, and the immune checkpoint PD-1, CTLA4, LAG3, PD-L1, PD-L2, TIGIT, and SIGLEC15 were closely related to E2F7. Meanwhile, the TMB in the E2F7 high expression group was significantly higher than that in the E2F7 low expression group.…”