Interleukin enhancer binding factor 2 is a prognostic biomarker for breast cancer that also predicts neoadjuvant chemotherapy responses.

Interleukin enhancer binding factor 2 (ILF2) participates in several aspects of DNA and RNA metabolism and regulates gene expression at multiple levels; however, its role in breast cancer remains undefined. The variant statuses of ILF2 in human breast cancer were evaluated using the COSMIC database. Altered ILF2 expression in normal breast tissue relative to cancer tissue and in breast cancer patients with different clinicopathological characteristics, molecular subtypes, clinical outcomes and chemotherapy responses were examined using the Oncomine, GOBO, Kaplan-Meier plotter and GEO datasets. To explore possible biological networks connected to ILF2 in breast cancer, we performed ingenuity pathway analysis on ILF2-related differentially expressed genes. We found that many breast cancers had increased ILF2 copy number variations and increased ILF2 expression. We also observed that elevated ILF2 expression was correlated with aggressive features, such as high histological grade, BRCA1 mutations, and the triple-negative/basal-like subtype, which resulted in shorter survival in these cases. Moreover, ILF2 expression predicted responses to anthracycline/taxane-based treatment. Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed that ILF2-related biological functions included promoting cell survival, viability, and proliferation, as well as cell cycle progression and DNA repair. Certain well-known oncogenes (MYC and HGF), cytokines (CSF2, IFNG and IL5) and microRNAs (miR-21, miR-155-5p and let-7) may participate in the ILF2 expression network in breast cancer. In summary, ILF2 is involved in the development and progression of breast cancer and may be a predictive biomarker for better responses to anthracycline/taxane-based treatments.