CEBPB as a prognostic biomarker and its association with immune cells in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. This study examines the expression, prognostic significance, and immune association of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (CEBPB) in ccRCC. RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) Project were analyzed using the STAR workflow and R software. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) validated CEBPB expression in ccRCC tissues. Functional enrichment analyses (Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network (STRING and Cytoscape) were used to explore CEBPB-related pathways. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) revealed significant correlations between CEBPB expression and the infiltration of 24 immune cell types. CEBPB was linked to immune-related pathways, including humoral immune response, leukocyte migration, and cytokine signaling. PPI analysis identified strong interactions with STAT3/EP300, highlighting its role in immune regulation. Cox regression analysis showed that high CEBPB expression is associated with poorer overall survival, supporting its potential as a prognostic biomarker. In conclusion, CEBPB plays a key role in shaping the immune microenvironment of ccRCC and may serve as a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target.