Prognostic Significance of Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthase-2 Expressions in Human Breast Carcinoma: A Multiomic Approach

Abstract

Prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase-2 (PTGS2) plays a pivotal role in inflammation and carcinogenesis in human breast cancer. Our aim of the study is to find the prognostic value of PTGS2 in breast cancer. We conducted a multiomic analysis to determine whether PTGS2 functions as a prognostic biomarker in human breast cancer. We explored PTGS2 mRNA expressions using different public bioinformatics portals. Oncomine, Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE), GEPIA, ULCAN, PrognoScan database, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, bc-GenExMiner, USC XENA, and Cytoscape/STRING DB were used to identify the prognostic roles of PTGS2 in breast cancer. Based on the clinicopathological analysis, decreased PTGS2 expressions correlated positively with older age, lymph node status, the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status (P < .0001), estrogen receptor (ER+) expression (P < .0001) Luminal A (P < .0001), and Luminal B (P < .0001). Interestingly, progesterone receptor (PR) (P < .0001) negative showed a high expression of PTGS2. Prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase-2 was downregulated in breast cancer tissues than in normal tissues. In the PrognoScan database and, Kaplan-Meier Scanner, downregulated expressions of PTGS2 associated with poor overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and distant metastasis-free survival. The methylation levels were significantly higher in the Luminal B subtype. Through oncomine coexpressed gene analysis, we found a positive correlation between PTGS2 and interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression in breast cancer tissues. These results indicate that downregulated expressions of PTGS2 can be used as a promising prognostic biomarker and Luminal B hyper methylation may play an important role in the development of breast cancers. However, to clarify our results, extensive study is required.