{"title":"Comprehensive Analysis of <i>GJB1</i> in Breast Cancer: Its Implications in Survival and Molecular Mechanisms.","authors":"Engin Ozcivici, Gulistan Mese","doi":"10.21873/anticanres.17365","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/aim: </strong>Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide. The connexin (Cx) family, including GJB1 (Cx32), plays complex roles in tumor progression depending on cellular context and cancer subtype. While Cx32 overexpression has been linked to lymph node metastasis, its effects on survival and molecular processes remain unclear. Herein, we aimed to investigate the role of GJB1 in breast cancer by examining its impact on survival and cellular processes in addition to its expression pattern in tumor subtypes, using public datasets.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We conducted a comprehensive analysis of GJB1 in breast cancer using METABRIC patient dataset, Cancer Cell Line Encylopedia, and other publicly available databases. We examined the association between GJB1 expression and patient survival, performed differential gene expression analysis, and explored gene set enrichment to identify biological processes associated with high GJB1 expression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>GJB1 was significantly down-regulated in breast cancer tissues compared to normal tissues. However, patients with high GJB1 expression had significantly poorer survival compared to those with low expression, with the median survival reduced by over 25 months. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that down-regulated genes in the GJB1-high group were enriched in extracellular matrix components and membrane junctions, while up-regulated genes were associated with mitochondrial function and cellular respiration.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings suggest a dual role for GJB1 in breast cancer. Although it is generally down-regulated, high GJB1 expression is associated with poorer survival, implying a potential oncogenic role. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of GJB1 in breast cancer and explore its therapeutic implications.</p>","PeriodicalId":8072,"journal":{"name":"Anticancer research","volume":"44 12","pages":"5379-5391"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Anticancer research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.21873/anticanres.17365","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ONCOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background/aim: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide. The connexin (Cx) family, including GJB1 (Cx32), plays complex roles in tumor progression depending on cellular context and cancer subtype. While Cx32 overexpression has been linked to lymph node metastasis, its effects on survival and molecular processes remain unclear. Herein, we aimed to investigate the role of GJB1 in breast cancer by examining its impact on survival and cellular processes in addition to its expression pattern in tumor subtypes, using public datasets.
Materials and methods: We conducted a comprehensive analysis of GJB1 in breast cancer using METABRIC patient dataset, Cancer Cell Line Encylopedia, and other publicly available databases. We examined the association between GJB1 expression and patient survival, performed differential gene expression analysis, and explored gene set enrichment to identify biological processes associated with high GJB1 expression.
Results: GJB1 was significantly down-regulated in breast cancer tissues compared to normal tissues. However, patients with high GJB1 expression had significantly poorer survival compared to those with low expression, with the median survival reduced by over 25 months. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that down-regulated genes in the GJB1-high group were enriched in extracellular matrix components and membrane junctions, while up-regulated genes were associated with mitochondrial function and cellular respiration.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest a dual role for GJB1 in breast cancer. Although it is generally down-regulated, high GJB1 expression is associated with poorer survival, implying a potential oncogenic role. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of GJB1 in breast cancer and explore its therapeutic implications.
背景/目的:乳腺癌是全世界妇女癌症相关死亡的主要原因。连接蛋白(Cx)家族,包括GJB1 (Cx32),在肿瘤进展中发挥复杂的作用,这取决于细胞背景和癌症亚型。虽然Cx32过表达与淋巴结转移有关,但其对生存和分子过程的影响尚不清楚。在此,我们旨在通过使用公共数据集,研究GJB1对乳腺癌存活和细胞过程的影响,以及其在肿瘤亚型中的表达模式,来研究GJB1在乳腺癌中的作用。材料和方法:我们使用METABRIC患者数据集、cancer Cell Line encyclopedia和其他公开可用的数据库对乳腺癌中的GJB1进行了全面分析。我们研究了GJB1表达与患者生存之间的关系,进行了差异基因表达分析,并探索了基因集富集,以确定与GJB1高表达相关的生物学过程。结果:与正常组织相比,GJB1在乳腺癌组织中表达明显下调。然而,GJB1高表达患者的生存期明显低于低表达患者,中位生存期减少超过25个月。基因本体(GO)分析显示,gjb1高水平组的下调基因富集于细胞外基质成分和膜连接,而上调基因则与线粒体功能和细胞呼吸相关。结论:我们的研究结果表明GJB1在乳腺癌中具有双重作用。虽然GJB1通常是下调的,但高表达与较差的生存率相关,这意味着潜在的致癌作用。需要进一步的研究来阐明GJB1在乳腺癌中的作用并探讨其治疗意义。
期刊介绍:
ANTICANCER RESEARCH is an independent international peer-reviewed journal devoted to the rapid publication of high quality original articles and reviews on all aspects of experimental and clinical oncology. Prompt evaluation of all submitted articles in confidence and rapid publication within 1-2 months of acceptance are guaranteed.
ANTICANCER RESEARCH was established in 1981 and is published monthly (bimonthly until the end of 2008). Each annual volume contains twelve issues and index. Each issue may be divided into three parts (A: Reviews, B: Experimental studies, and C: Clinical and Epidemiological studies).
Special issues, presenting the proceedings of meetings or groups of papers on topics of significant progress, will also be included in each volume. There is no limitation to the number of pages per issue.