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Ishfaq M, Bashir N, Riaz SK, Manzoor S, Khan JS, Bibi Y, Sami R, Aljahani AH, Alharthy SA, Shahid R. Expression of HK2, PKM2, and PFKM Is Associated with Metastasis and Late Disease Onset in Breast Cancer Patients. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:549. [PMID: 35328104 PMCID: PMC8955648 DOI: 10.3390/genes13030549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The reprogramming of energy metabolism is one of the hallmarks of cancer and is crucial for tumor progression. Altered aerobic glycolysis is a well-known characteristic of cancer cell metabolism. In the present study, the expression profiles of key metabolic genes (HK2, PFKM, and PKM2) were assessed in the breast cancer cohort of Pakistan using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and IHC. Expression patterns were correlated with molecular subtypes and clinical parameters in the patients. A significant upregulation of key glycolytic genes was observed in tumor samples in comparison to their adjacent controls (p < 0.0001). The expression of the studied glycolytic genes was significantly increased in late clinical stages, positive nodal involvement, and distant metastasis (p < 0.05). HK2 and PKM2 were found to be upregulated in luminal B, whereas PFKM was overexpressed in the luminal A subtype of breast cancer. The genes were positively correlated with the proliferation marker Ki67 (p < 0.001). Moreover, moderate positive linear correlations between HK2 and PKM2 (r = 0.476), HK2 and PFKM (r = 0.473), and PKM2 and PFKM (r = 0.501) were also observed (p < 0.01). These findings validate that the key regulatory genes in glycolysis can serve as potential biomarkers and/or molecular targets for breast cancer management. However, the clinical significance of these molecules needs to be further validated through in vitro and in vivo experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehreen Ishfaq
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; (M.I.); (N.B.)
| | - Nabiha Bashir
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; (M.I.); (N.B.)
| | - Syeda Kiran Riaz
- Department of Molecular Biology, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan;
| | - Shumaila Manzoor
- National Veterinary Lab, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan;
| | - Jahangir Sarwar Khan
- Department of General Surgery, Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan;
| | - Yamin Bibi
- Department of Botany, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi 46300, Pakistan;
| | - Rokayya Sami
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Amani H. Aljahani
- Department of Physical Sport Science, College of Education, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Saif A. Alharthy
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia;
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ramla Shahid
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan; (M.I.); (N.B.)
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