Purpose: We investigated the expression profiles of immune genes in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) to identify the prognostic value of immune genes and their clinical implications.
Methods: NanoString nCounter Analysis of 770 immune-related genes was used to measure immune gene expression in patients with TNBC who underwent curative surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy at Samsung Medical Center between 2000 and 2004. Statistical analyses were conducted to identify the associations between gene expression and distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS).
Results: Of 1189 patients who underwent curative BC surgery, 200 TNBC patients were included and stage was the only clinical factor predictive of DRFS. In terms of immune genes, 155 of 770 genes were associated with DRFS (p < 0.01). Further multivariate analysis revealed that 13 genes, CD1B, CD53, CT45A1, GTF3C1, IL11RA, IL1RN, LRRN3, MAPK1, NEFL, PRKCE, PTPRC, SPACA3 and TNFSF11, were associated with patient prognosis (p < 0.05). The prognostic value of stage and expression levels of 13 immune genes was analyzed and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.923. Based on the AUC, we divided patients into three genetic risk groups and DRFS rate was significantly different according to genetic risk groups, even in the same stage (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: In this study, a 13-gene expression profile in combination with stage precisely predicted distant recurrence of early TNBC. Therefore, this 13-immune-gene signature could help predict TNBC prognosis and provide guidance for treatment as well as the opportunity to develop new targets for immunotherapy in TNBC patients.
Keywords: Immune gene signature; Prognosis; Triple-negative breast cancer.