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Published in: BMC Cancer 1/2021

Open Access 01-12-2021 | Breast Cancer | Research article

TFEB, SIRT1, CARM1, Beclin-1 expression and PITX2 methylation in breast cancer chemoresistance: a retrospective study

Authors: Serena Bertozzi, Ambrogio P. Londero, Luigi Viola, Maria Orsaria, Michela Bulfoni, Stefania Marzinotto, Bruna Corradetti, Umberto Baccarani, Daniela Cesselli, Carla Cedolini, Laura Mariuzzi

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2021

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Abstract

Background

Breast cancer chemoresistance is attributed to a wide variety of mechanisms, including autophagy. Transcription factor EB (TFEB) has been recently identified and characterized as one major regulator of autophagy and lysosomal genesis.

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the prognostic impact of TFEB and its pathway in breast cancer chemoresistance.

Methods

This retrospective study analyzes the expression of TFEB, CARM1, SIRT1, and Beclin-1 and the methylation of PITX2 in breast carcinoma. A group of breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy, who relapsed within 12 months from treatment initiation, were compared to a sub-cohort of chemo-treated patients who did not recur within 12 months of follow-up. The expression of TFEB, CARM1, SIRT1, and Belcin-1 was analyzed using immunohistochemistry or RT-PCR on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples. PITX2 methylation was tested with the diagnostic CE-marked kit Therascreen PITX2 RGQ PCR. In the final model, 136 cases of chemo-treated breast cancer were included.

Results

A higher TFEB and Beclin-1 expression correlate with shorter survival in patients with chemo-treated invasive breast cancer (respectively HR 3.46, CI.95 1.27–9.47, p < 0.05 and 7.11, CI.95 2.54–19.9). TFEB, CARM1, and SIRT1 are positively correlated with Beclin-1. The protein expression of SIRT1 is significantly associated with TFEB and CARM1 so that a very low SIRT1 expression (lower than the first quartile of the H-score distribution) correlates with a low expression of TFEB and CARM1 and with longer survival. SIRT1 seems to have a lower H-score in the basal-like and HER2-enriched tumors than the luminal subtypes. Beclin-1 and TFEB seem to have a higher H-score in the basal-like and HER2-enriched tumors than the luminal subtypes. PITX2 methylation analysis was feasible only in 65% of the selected samples, but no significant differences between cases and controls were found, and there was also no correlation with the expression of the TFEB pathway.

Conclusions

TFEB, SIRT1, and Beclin-1 seem to have a potential prognostic significance in patients with chemo-treated breast cancer, likely because of their role in the regulation of autophagy. In addition, no correlation between TFEB and PITX2 methylation was found, likely because they perform two different roles within the autophagy process.
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Metadata
Title
TFEB, SIRT1, CARM1, Beclin-1 expression and PITX2 methylation in breast cancer chemoresistance: a retrospective study
Authors
Serena Bertozzi
Ambrogio P. Londero
Luigi Viola
Maria Orsaria
Michela Bulfoni
Stefania Marzinotto
Bruna Corradetti
Umberto Baccarani
Daniela Cesselli
Carla Cedolini
Laura Mariuzzi
Publication date
01-12-2021
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-021-08844-y

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