Zhang Ziwei, Gu Minghao, He Gao, Yu Xiafei, Yang Junzhe, Wu Xian, Zhang Xiaoqiang, Lu Kaining, Qian Fangze, Shi Xiaoyue, Xu Jialu, Zhuang Minyu, Liu Xiaoan, Zhu Yanhui
Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China.
Cancers (Basel). 2023 May 16;15(10):2773. doi: 10.3390/cancers15102773.
Worldwide, breast cancer is the most common malignancy. LHX2, a member of the LIM homeobox gene family and a transcription factor, plays a crucial role in numerous tumors, but the function of LHX2 in breast cancer progression remains unknown. In this study, we show that LHX2 is upregulated in breast cancer tissues and positively correlated with breast cancer progression. Meanwhile, the clinical characteristics of breast cancer and LHX2 expression showed a strong correlation. GSEA showed that a high LHX2 expression may activate the T-cell activation pathway, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, and apoptosis pathway. Moreover, ssGSEA showed that Th1 cells and Th2 cells had a positive correlation with LHX2 expression in breast cancer. Experiments showed that LHX2 promotes the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence assays helped to analyze LHX2-associated immune infiltration in breast cancer. A Western blot assay proved that LHX2 activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and the apoptosis pathway. A TUNEL assay confirmed that LHX2 inhibited apoptosis. Taken together, LHX2 plays a vital role in breast cancer's progression and prognosis and could be an immune infiltration biomarker for breast cancer, and LHX2 activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and apoptosis pathway in breast cancer.
在全球范围内,乳腺癌是最常见的恶性肿瘤。LHX2是LIM同源框基因家族的成员之一,作为一种转录因子,在众多肿瘤中发挥着关键作用,但LHX2在乳腺癌进展中的功能仍不清楚。在本研究中,我们发现LHX2在乳腺癌组织中上调,且与乳腺癌进展呈正相关。同时,乳腺癌的临床特征与LHX2表达呈现出强烈的相关性。基因集富集分析(GSEA)表明,高LHX2表达可能激活T细胞活化途径、PI3K/AKT/mTOR信号通路和凋亡途径。此外,单样本基因集富集分析(ssGSEA)显示,Th1细胞和Th2细胞与乳腺癌中LHX2表达呈正相关。实验表明,LHX2促进乳腺癌细胞的增殖、集落形成、迁移和侵袭。免疫组织化学和免疫荧光分析有助于分析乳腺癌中与LHX2相关的免疫浸润情况。蛋白质免疫印迹法(Western blot)检测证明,LHX2激活了PI3K/AKT/mTOR途径和凋亡途径。TUNEL检测证实,LHX2抑制细胞凋亡。综上所述,LHX2在乳腺癌的进展和预后中起着至关重要的作用,可能是乳腺癌的一种免疫浸润生物标志物,并且LHX2在乳腺癌中激活了PI3K/AKT/mTOR途径和凋亡途径。