MALAT1 and BACH1 are prognostic biomarkers for triple-negative breast cancer

Abstract

Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential correlation between metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) and the transcription factor BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) and their clinicopathological significance in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Subjects and Methods: MALAT1 and BACH1 were detected by immunohistochemistry using TNBC tissue microarrays of 240 patients. The association between MALAT1 and BACH1 expression levels was statistically analyzed. Moreover, the prognostic roles as well as clinical and pathological significance of MALAT1 and BACH1 expression in TNBC were determined. Statistical Analysis Used: Two-tailed Pearson correlation was used to examine the correlation of BACH1 and MALA1 expression. Comparisons of clinicopathological variables between different BACH1 and MALA1 expression groups were performed using χ² tests. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) curves were plotted with the Kaplan-Meier method and the differences in OS and DFS between three groups were compared by the log-rank test. Multiple comparisons were performed using χ² tests for subsequent individual group comparisons. Results: MALAT1 and BACH1 expression was significantly correlated with tumor-node-metastasis stage, distant metastasis, pathological stage, and survival outcomes of patients. Patients with high MALAT1 and BACH1 expression exhibited shorter overall survival and disease-free survival. Conclusions: These findings provide further insight into the expression pattern of MALAT1 and BACH1 in TNBC and suggest them as prognostic biomarkers for TNBC.