OBJECTIVE

This study aims to elucidate the expression and clinical relevance of ELK3 in gliomas and to predict its biological functions using comprehensive database analyses.

METHODS

We utilized data from glioma patients in the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to investigate ELK3 expression across different tumor grades. The impact of ELK3 expression on patient survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and both univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Additionally, Pearson correlation analysis identified genes associated with ELK3 expression, and these genes underwent functional enrichment analysis via Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG).

RESULTS

Our findings demonstrate a positive correlation between ELK3 expression and glioma grade, with significant differences in expression observed across grades II, III, and IV ( < 0.05). Elevated ELK3 expression was associated with poorer patient outcomes ( < 0.05). Analyses from both CGGA and TCGA confirmed ELK3 as an independent prognostic factor for gliomas. Functional enrichment analysis revealed significant associations of ELK3 with critical immune-related pathways, including neutrophil activation, T cell activation, and antigen presentation.

CONCLUSION

ELK3 is established as an independent prognostic marker in gliomas, intimately linked with pivotal immune-related pathways. These insights highlight the potential of ELK3 as both a biomarker and a therapeutic target in the management of glioma, offering avenues for improved prognostic assessments and therapeutic strategies.