Molecular mechanism of activated T cells in breast cancer

Jie Wu,1 Maolan Li,2 Yijian Zhang,2,3 Yan Cai,4 Gaiping Zhao5 1Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamics (Ministry of Education), Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China; 2Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Research Center of Biliary Tract Disease, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China; 3Shanghai Key Laboratory of Biliary Tract Disease Research, Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China; 4School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China; 5Institute of Medical Instrument Engineering, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China Introduction: This study aimed to explore the effect of activated T cells on breast cancer (BC) cells and provide a theoretical basis for the interaction mechanism studies between BC and immune cells. Methods: The microarray dataset GSE73527 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The common differentially expressed mRNAs (co-DEMs) and the common differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (co-DElncRNAs) were identified between MDA-MB-231 cells and MCF7 activated human T cells, respectively. The RNA–miRNA–lncRNA (ceRNA) network was constructed. Furthermore, the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway and the gene ontology function analyses were performed on co-DEMs. The protein–protein interaction networks and modules were investigated. Results: A total of 639 co-DEMs (such as interleukin-6 [IL6] and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 [STAT1]) were detected in this study. Defense response to other organisms and herpes simplex infection were the most outstanding function and pathway assembled with co-DEMs, respectively. One protein–protein interaction network and three modules were further constructed. A total of 88 mRNA–miRNA–lncRNA relationships such as BTN3A1-has-mir-20b-5p-HCP5 were explored in the ceRNA network. Conclusion: Activated T cells may play a crucial role in the defense response to other organism functions and herpes simplex infection pathways by upregulating IL6 and STAT1, which further affected the progression of BC. The BTN3A1-has-miR-20b-5p-HCP5 relationship may be the potential interaction mechanism between BC and immune cells. Keywords: breast cancer, differentially expressed mRNA, function and pathway analysis, protein–protein interaction network, mRNA–miRNAs–lncRNA regulation networ