Dou Tingyao, Chen Yaodong, Liu Lunhang, Zhang Yaochen, Pei Wanru, Li Jing, Lei Yan, Wang Yanhong, Jia Hongyan
Department of First Clinical Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
Department of Ultrasonic Imaging, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China.
Sci Rep. 2025 May 7;15(1):15918. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-00891-w.
Breast ultrasound plays a significant role in the non-invasive screening and diagnosis of breast cancer. The application of immunotherapy for breast cancer can significantly prolong the overall survival of advanced patients, which is an important research area of breast cancer treatment. The combination of ultrasound and immunotherapy helps patients diagnose and predict survival and develop a personalized treatment plan. This study analyzed the correlation between the clinical and ultrasonic characteristics of breast cancer and immune-related genes. First, the differential expression of immune-related genes was obtained using the GEO and IMMPORT database. Then, differentially expressed immune-related genes related to the overall survival of breast cancer were obtained using the GEPIA and Kaplan-Meier plotter platforms. Additionally, clinical, ultrasonic characteristics and pathological specimens of breast cancer patients' tumors were collected. Whole transcriptome sequencing and immunohistochemical staining were performed on the tumor specimens to obtain gene expression. CXCL2, MIA, NR3C2, PTX3, S100B, SAA1, SAA2, and CXCL9 genes were correlated with each other and with clinical and ultrasonic characteristics. The high expression of MIA was related to the positive expression of PR in breast cancer. The low expression of NR3C2 was correlated with the clinical characteristics of tumor size ≥ 20 mm, later stage, Her-2 positive, Ki-67 ≥ 20%. NR3C2 was negatively correlated with the value of PKI and AUC in contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters, and positively correlated with the value of AT and TTP. The expression of the PTX3 gene was also negatively correlated with the value of PKI and Emax of shear wave elastography. SAA2 was related to the presence or absence of edge burrs characterized by ultrasound. The expression of the CXCL9 gene was associated with the age of onset and tumor stage. In this study, 8 differentially expressed immune-related genes related to the overall survival of breast cancer were screened, which had been proved to be associated with some characteristics of cancer in previous studies, and could be further studied in the subsequent immunotherapy of breast cancer. Some clinical and ultrasonic characteristics of breast cancer were significantly correlated with immune-related genes, such as NR3C2, SAA2, and CXCL9. Further analysis of these genes provides new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
乳腺超声在乳腺癌的非侵入性筛查和诊断中发挥着重要作用。乳腺癌免疫疗法的应用可显著延长晚期患者的总生存期，这是乳腺癌治疗的一个重要研究领域。超声与免疫疗法相结合有助于患者进行诊断、预测生存期并制定个性化治疗方案。本研究分析了乳腺癌临床及超声特征与免疫相关基因之间的相关性。首先，利用GEO和IMMPORT数据库获取免疫相关基因的差异表达。然后，使用GEPIA和Kaplan-Meier plotter平台获取与乳腺癌总生存期相关的差异表达免疫相关基因。此外，收集乳腺癌患者肿瘤的临床、超声特征及病理标本。对肿瘤标本进行全转录组测序和免疫组化染色以获取基因表达。CXCL2、MIA、NR3C2、PTX3、S100B、SAA1、SAA2和CXCL9基因之间相互关联，且与临床及超声特征相关。MIA的高表达与乳腺癌中PR的阳性表达有关。NR3C2的低表达与肿瘤大小≥20mm、晚期、Her-2阳性、Ki-67≥20%的临床特征相关。在超声造影参数中，NR3C2与PKI和AUC值呈负相关，与AT和TTP值呈正相关。PTX3基因的表达也与剪切波弹性成像的PKI和Emax值呈负相关。SAA2与超声特征性边缘毛刺的有无有关。CXCL9基因的表达与发病年龄和肿瘤分期有关。本研究筛选出8个与乳腺癌总生存期相关的差异表达免疫相关基因，这些基因在以往研究中已被证明与癌症的某些特征相关，可在后续乳腺癌免疫治疗中进一步研究。乳腺癌的一些临床和超声特征与免疫相关基因显著相关，如NR3C2、SAA2和CXCL9。对这些基因的进一步分析为乳腺癌的诊断和治疗提供了新思路。
