Wei Y, Yang X, Gao L, Xu Y, Yi C. Differences in potential key genes and pathways between primary and radiation-associated angiosarcoma of the breast.
Transl Oncol 2022;
19:101385. [PMID:
35263699 PMCID:
PMC8905315 DOI:
10.1016/j.tranon.2022.101385]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Angiosarcoma of the breast is a high-grade malignant soft tissue tumor, it can be divided into primary and secondary.
The differences between primary and secondary angiosarcomas in terms of pathogenesis, clinical behavior, early diagnosis biomarkers, genetic abnormalities, and therapeutic targets remain to be fully elucidated.
Due to its rarity, most of the current information relating to angiosarcoma is provided by case reports and single-institution retrospective cohort studies and the research with large-scale genomic studies published to date are very limited.
We identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between primary and second breast angiosarcomas and identified the hub genes as well as predicted novel biomarkers, pathways, and potential therapeutic targets for primary and secondary breast angiosarcomas.
We aimed to identify novel biomarkers, pathways, and potential therapeutic targets for primary and secondary breast angiosarcomas to facilitate future research.
Background
Angiosarcoma of the breast is a high-grade malignant soft tissue tumor, it can be divided into primary and radiation-associated angiosarcoma(secondary). However, the differences between primary and secondary angiosarcomas in terms of pathogenesis, clinical behavior, early diagnosis biomarkers, genetic abnormalities, and therapeutic targets remain to be fully elucidated. At the same time, due to its rarity, most of current information relating to angiosarcoma is provided by case reports. Therefore, exploring the mechanisms of primary and secondary breast angiosarcoma have important value for the discovery of new biomarkers and research into potential therapeutic targets.
Methods
The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between 36 cases of primary angiosarcoma and 54 cases of secondary angiosarcoma were screened. Then, the DEGs were used to gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Then, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING database.
Results
A total of 18 DEGs were identified, of which 13 were upregulated and 5 were downregulated in secondary breast angiosarcoma. The GO enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were most enriched in metabolism, energy pathways, and protein metabolism in biological processes. The enriched signaling pathways of DEGs were the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), Wnt, Hippo and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Then, the PPI network was conducted and hub genes were identified and they were involved in thyroid hormone, Hippo and other signaling pathways.
Conclusion
This study lay the foundation for the discovery of effective and reliable molecular biomarkers and essential therapeutic targets for these malignancies.
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