Identification and Validation of Immune-Related Methylation Clusters for Predicting Immune Activity and Prognosis in Breast Cancer

Anli Yang; Ying Zhou; Yanan Kong; Xiaoli Wei; Feng Ye; Lijuan Zhang; Xian Zhong; Mingyue Li; Shilin Lu; Xin An; Weikai Xiao

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2021.704557

Frontiers in Immunology (Jun 2021)

Identification and Validation of Immune-Related Methylation Clusters for Predicting Immune Activity and Prognosis in Breast Cancer

Anli Yang,
Ying Zhou,
Yanan Kong,
Xiaoli Wei,
Feng Ye,
Lijuan Zhang,
Xian Zhong,
Mingyue Li,
Shilin Lu,
Xin An,
Weikai Xiao

Affiliations

Anli Yang: Department of Breast Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
Ying Zhou: Department of Infectious Diseases and Endemic Disease Control, Haizhu District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, China
Yanan Kong: Department of Breast Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
Xiaoli Wei: Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
Feng Ye: Department of Breast Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
Lijuan Zhang: Department of Breast Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
Xian Zhong: Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Mingyue Li: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
Shilin Lu: Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
Xin An: Department of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
Weikai Xiao: Department of Breast Cancer, Cancer Center, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.704557
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12

Abstract

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The role of DNA methylation of breast cancer-infiltrating immune cells has not been fully explored. We conducted a cohort-based retrospective study analyzing the genome-wide immune-related DNA methylation of 1057 breast cancer patients from the TCGA cohort and GSE72308 cohort. Based on patients’ overall survival (OS), a prognostic risk score system using 18 immune-related methylation genes (IRMGs) was established and further validated in an independent cohort. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed a clear separation of OS between the low- and high-risk groups. Patients in the low-risk group had a higher immune score and stromal score compared with the high-risk group. Moreover, the characteristics based on 18-IRMGs signature were related to the tumor immune microenvironment and affected the abundance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Consistently, the 18-IRMGs signatures showed similar influences on immune modulation and survival in another external validation cohort (GSE72308). In conclusion, the proposed 18-IRMGs signature could be a potential marker for breast cancer prognostication.

Published in Frontiers in Immunology

ISSN: 1664-3224 (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Specialties of internal medicine: Immunologic diseases. Allergy
Website: http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/immunology

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