Increased Expression of Homeobox 5 Predicts Poor Prognosis: A Potential Prognostic Biomarker for Glioma

Overview

Journal Int J Gen Med

Publisher Dove Medical Press

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2022 May 3

PMID 35502183

Authors

Chengran Xu

Jinhai Huang

Yi Yang

Lun Li

Guangyu Li

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The homeobox gene 5 () encodes a transcription factor that regulates the embryonic development of the central nervous system. Notably, its expression pattern and prognostic role in glioma remain unelucidated.

Methods: This study identified the relationship between HOXB5 and glioma by investigating expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Genotype Tissue Expression databases and validating the obtained data using the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas database. Western blots were used to identify HOXB5 expression levels in glioma cells and clinical samples. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the prognostic value of HOXB5. The key functions and signaling pathways related to HOXB5 were analyzed using GO, KEGG, and GSEA. Immune infiltration was calculated using the microenvironment cell populations-counter, estimate the proportion of immune and cancer, and ESTIMATE algorithms.

Results: The expression of HOXB5 was upregulated in glioma and generally increased with malignancy. HOXB5 was an independent prognostic factor for glioma patients. A nomogram was further built that integrated HOXB5, and it showed stratifying prediction accuracy and efficiency. HOXB5 was associated with the regulation of cell growth, endothelial cell growth, and the IL-6/JAK-STAT3 pathway, and was determined to possibly promote stomatal specimen enrichment and angiogenesis.

Conclusion: HOXB5 protein is overexpressed in glioma and might serve as a good predictive factor of this disease.

Citing Articles

The HOX code of human adult fibroblasts reflects their ectomesenchymal or mesodermal origin.

Pfeiferova L, Spanko M, Sachova J, Hradilova M, Pienta K, Valach J Histochem Cell Biol. 2025; 163(1):38.

PMID: 40063181 PMC: 11893657. DOI: 10.1007/s00418-025-02362-9.

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