ELOVL1 as a Potential Biomarker Associated with Poor Prognosis in Glioma

Seven elongases (ELOVL1-7) exist within the human body, exhibiting distinct tissue expression patterns and substrate specificities. ELOVL1 serves as the primary rate-limiting enzyme for the synthesis of very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs), regulating the rate and direction of this metabolic process. Accumulating research demonstrates a close association between ELOVL1 and tumorigenesis and progression; however, its specific function in glioma remains incompletely understood. In this study, we utilized data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database, and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) to investigate the association between ELOVL1 expression and the clinicopathological/molecular characteristics of glioma patients, as well as its correlation with patient prognosis. Our findings reveal that high ELOVL1 expression is significantly associated with poor patient prognosis. Further analysis of the biological role of ELOVL1 in glioma indicates its involvement in multiple biological processes implicated in glioma development, including immune responses, inflammatory responses, and the regulation of defense responses within the immune system. Immune infiltration analysis using the CIBERSORT database uncovered correlations between high ELOVL1 expression and the infiltration of various immune cell types, as well as immune checkpoints, in glioma. In summary, ELOVL1 may serve as a promising potential biomarker for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of glioma.