Expression pattern and prognostic significance of baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis repeat-containing 5 (BIRC5) in breast cancer: A comprehensive analysis

Abstract

Background: Baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis repeat-containing 5 or BIRC5, member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP), is a multitasking protein and among the top 100 deregulated genes in breast cancer patients. It negatively regulates apoptosis of tumor cells by inducing gene expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, promoting tumor cell proliferation, and modulates response to chemotherapeutics. Objective: The main objective of the study was to analyze the expression pattern, prognostic significance and functional role of BIRC5 in breast cancer (BC). Methods: In the present study, we utilized a bioinformatic approach, to analyze the expression pattern and prognostic significance of BIRC5 in BC and explore the interactions of BIRC5 in promoting breast tumorigenicity. Results: BIRC5 mRNA levels were augmented in breast carcinoma & over-expression of BIRC5 was found associated with poor overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS). The KEGG pathway and gene ontology analysis of BIRC5 indicate that BIRC5 is highly enriched in mitotic pathways and cancer pathways. The PPI and correlation analysis further revealed that BIRC5 showed high with oncogenic proteins. Moreover, BIRC5 showed high correlation with infiltration of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the breast tumor stroma. Conclusions: Cumulatively, this study signifies that BIRC5 promotes tumor progression, & targeting BIRC5 in combination with conventional therapies will significantly enhance the response of BC patients to therapy.

Keywords

• Breast cancer
• Bioinformatics
• Prognosis
• BIRC5
• AURKA
• Gene ontology