Exploration of the Potential Value of Phosphatidylinositol-3-Kinase Regulatory Subunit 2 (PIK3R2) in Pan-Cancer Based on Databases

Abstract

Background: The phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) family member phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase regulatory subunit 2 (PIK3R2) is essential for controlling the development, proliferation, survival and angiogenesis of tumor cells. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential value of the PIK3R2 mediating tumor angiogenesis in pan-cancer. Methods: The PIK3R2 gene expression patterns and distribution in various tumor tissues as well as in healthy syngeneic normal tissues were analyzed, using Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. COX (proportional hazards model) analysis was used to draw Kaplan–Meier survival curves. A study of the relationship between PIK3R2 and immune infiltration of various tumors was also performed. In addition, the correlations between PIK3R2 and DNA repair genes, microsatellite instability, tumor immunological neoantigens, and DNA methyltransferases were investigated. Results: The results demonstrated that PIK3R2 is highly expressed in a variety of cancers and significantly correlated with poor prognosis in tumor patients, particularly in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), where it is closely related to the patients overall survival (OS) and human immune checkpoints. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicated that the expression of PIK3R2 in most tumors has a direct effect on pathways involved in immune and tumor activation. Conclusions: Overall, the expressions of PIK3R2 in most cancer tissues are closely associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients as well as immune checkpoint levels. Moreover, the high expression of PIK3R2 gene is correlated with the OS and tumor mutational burden of KIRC patients, and may become an early screening biomarker for KIRC treatment.