Immunological and Prognostic Roles of Complement C1q binding protein in Breast Cancer

Abstract

Abstract Background Complement C1q binding protein (C1QBP) is upregulated in breast cancer (BRCA) and is involved in cell growth, immunity, and apoptosis. This study explores the potential relationship of C1QBP with the development, prognosis, and immune response of BRCA. Methods All original data were downloaded from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. C1QBP expression was analyzed in normal and cancerous tissues by gepia2. The CIBERSORT algorithm evaluated the relationship between C1QBP expression and immune infiltration through the TCGA dataset. To analyze the mechanisms of C1QBP in BRCA, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA), and weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA) package were used. The analyses of the relevance of C1QBP to cancer drug sensitivity were performed by using the GDSC database. Results The expression of C1QBP in BRCA tissues was significantly upregulated and high C1QBP expression in BRCA patients was associated with poor prognosis. The co-expression between C1QBP and immune-related genes such as CXCL16 as well as tumor regulatory genes, such as DGUOK and FXN, existed in BRCA. C1QBP was related to the infiltration of regulatory T cells and other immune cells in BRCA. High expression of C1QBP negatively affected the drug sensitivity of commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs. Finally, we presented a nomogram model that can predict BRCA prognosis. Conclusion C1QBP affects the development, immune infiltration, drug treatment effect and prognosis of BRCA through various pathways and may become the potential prognostic and immunologic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for BRCA.