Ma Yan-Fei, Chen Yongcheng, Fang Dalang, Huang Qianfang, Luo Zhizhai, Qin Qiang, Lin Jiayao, Zou Caihua, Huang Minyu, Meng Dongdong, Huang Qun, Lu Guan-Ming
Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China.
Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China.
Gland Surg. 2021 Feb;10(2):780-798. doi: 10.21037/gs-20-922.
An increasing number of studies have demonstrated a role for the tumor microenvironment in tumorigenesis, disease progression, and therapeutic response. This present study aimed to screen the significant immune-related genes and their possible role in the prognosis of breast cancer (BRCA).
The transcriptome data and clinical data of breast cancer were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the immune scores and stromal scores were calculated by ESTIMATE algorithm. The differentially expressed genes were screened base on immune and stromal scores (high score low score), than the intersected genes were used for subsequent functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. Furthermore, the key gene was identified by the intersection of the hub genes of PPI network and the prognostic genes of breast cancer. Finally, we explored the infiltration of immune cells of BRCA base on the CIBERSORT algorithm, and analysis the relationship between key gene and immune cells.
High levels of CD52 expression were detected in the early stages of breast cancer and were associated with favorable prognosis. Overexpression of CD52 led to higher infiltrations of M1 macrophages, monocytes, T follicular helper cells, and resting memory CD4 T cells. Downregulation of CD52 resulted in high infiltrations of M2 macrophages. Therefore, high expression of CD52 may negatively regulate the infiltration of M2 macrophages but accelerate the infiltration of anti-cancer immune cells, and thus, high expression of CD52 may have a protective effect in breast cancer patients.
CD52 can increase the infiltration of anti-cancer immune cells but inhibit the infiltration of M2 macrophages, thereby improving the prognosis of breast cancer patients.
越来越多的研究表明肿瘤微环境在肿瘤发生、疾病进展和治疗反应中发挥作用。本研究旨在筛选重要的免疫相关基因及其在乳腺癌（BRCA）预后中的可能作用。
从癌症基因组图谱（TCGA）收集乳腺癌的转录组数据和临床数据，并通过ESTIMATE算法计算免疫评分和基质评分。基于免疫和基质评分（高分与低分）筛选差异表达基因，然后将交集基因用于后续的功能富集分析和蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用（PPI）分析。此外，通过PPI网络的枢纽基因与乳腺癌预后基因的交集确定关键基因。最后，我们基于CIBERSORT算法探索BRCA免疫细胞的浸润情况，并分析关键基因与免疫细胞之间的关系。
在乳腺癌早期检测到高水平的CD52表达，且与良好预后相关。CD52的过表达导致M1巨噬细胞、单核细胞、T滤泡辅助细胞和静息记忆CD4 T细胞的浸润增加。CD52的下调导致M2巨噬细胞的高浸润。因此，CD52的高表达可能对M2巨噬细胞的浸润起负调节作用，但加速抗癌免疫细胞的浸润，因此，CD52的高表达可能对乳腺癌患者具有保护作用。
CD52可增加抗癌免疫细胞的浸润，但抑制M2巨噬细胞的浸润，从而改善乳腺癌患者的预后。
