Identification of prognostic values defined by copy number variation, mRNA and protein expression of LANCL2 and EGFR in IDH1/2-wild-type glioblastoma

Abstract Background Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and lanthionine synthetase C-like 2 (LanCL2) genes locate in the same amplicon, and co-amplification of EGFR and LANCL2 is frequent in glioblastoma. However, the prognostic value of LANCL2 and EGFR co-amplification, and their mRNA and protein expression in glioblastoma remain unclear yet. Methods This study analyzed the prognostic values of the copy number variations (CNVs), mRNA and protein expression of LANCL2 and EGFR in glioblastoma specimens from TCGA database or our tumor banks. Results The amplification of LANCL2 or EGFR, and their co-amplification were frequent in glioblastoma of TCGA database and our tumor banks. CNVs of LANCL2 or EGFR were significantly correlated with IDH1/2 mutation but not MGMT promoter methylation status. LANCL2 or EGFR amplification, and their co-amplification were significantly associated with reduced overall survival (OS) of glioblastoma patients, rather than IDH1/2-wild-type glioblastoma patients. mRNA and protein overexpression of LANCL2 and EGFR was also frequently found in glioblastoma. LANCL2, rather than EGFR, was overexpressed in relapsing glioblastoma, compared with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. However, mRNA or protein expression of EGFR and LANCL2 was not significantly correlated with OS of glioblastoma patients. In addition, the intracellular localization of LanCL2, not EGFR, was associated with the grade of gliomas. Conclusions Taken together, amplification and mRNA overexpression of LANCL2 and EGFR, and their co-amplification and co-expression were frequent in glioblastoma patients. Our findings suggest that CNVs of LANCL2 and EGFR were the independent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for histological glioblastoma patients, but not for IDH1/2-wild-type glioblastoma patients.