Glucose metabolism-related genes with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of breast cancer: an analysis based on TCGA database

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of LDHA, SLC16A1 and SLC16A3 genes and pathologic features and prognosis in breast cancer. Methods Tissue samples from 1 060 breast cancer patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were obtained. The association of LDHA, SLC16A1 and SLC16A3 gene expressions with clinicopathological features and prognosis of breast cancer were analyzed. Survival curve were drawn by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and univariable and multivariable survival prognosis were analyzed by Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results LDHA expression was associated with distant metastasis (M stage) (χ2=5.560, P=0.018), estrogen receptor (ER) expression (χ2=8.532, P=0.003), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) expression (χ2=4.418, P=0.036); SLC16A1 expression correlated with age (χ2=8.040, P=0.005), ER expression (χ2=17.428, P＜0.01), and progesterone receptor (PR) expression (χ2=5.486, P=0.019). SLC16A3 expression correlated with ER expression (χ2=22.447, P＜0.01), PR expression (χ2=20.590, P＜0.01). Patients with high expression of LDHA (χ2=3.856, P=0.049), SLC16A1 (χ2=3.978, P=0.046) and SLC16A3 (χ2=5.008, P=0.025) had lower cumulative survival rates. SLC16A1(HR=1.894, 95%CI: 1.246-2.878, P=0.003) and SLC16A3(HR=1.769, 95%CI: 1.009-2.847, P=0.019) were the independent risk factors for overall survival in breast cancer patients. Conclusion LDHA, SLC16A1 and SLC16A3 are associated with certain pathologic features and poorer prognosis of breast cancer, which may provide new prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets for breast cancer treatment.