Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Multiomics Analysis of TMEM200A as a Pan-Cancer Biomarker
Published on: September 15, 2023
Expression patterns of the ATM gene in mammary tissues and their associations with breast cancer survival
Chuanzhong Ye1, Qiuyin Cai, Qi Dai
1Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center, Vanderbilt Ingram-Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2587, USA.
Background:
The ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene plays a critical role in cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, and DNA repair. However, to date, no study has directly investigated the association between ATM gene expression and breast cancer survival.
Methods:
ATM gene expression levels were evaluated in tumor and adjacent normal tissue from patients diagnosed with primary breast cancer or BBD using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays. Cox regression models were used to evaluate the association of ATM gene expression and survival in a cohort of 471 breast cancer patients.
Results:
In breast cancer cases, ATM expression in cancer tissues was decreased by approximately 50% compared with adjacent normal tissues from the same patients. In BBD cases, the expression level of the ATM gene was similar in benign tumor tissue and adjacent normal tissues. No apparent difference was found in ATM gene expression levels in adjacent normal tissues obtained from cancer patients or BBD controls. Compared with patients with the lowest tertile of the ATM mRNA, patients in the upper 2 tertiles had more favorable disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR]=0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.30-0.73 and HR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.33-0.81, respectively) and overall survival (HR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.35-0.92 and HR=0.70, 95% CI: 0.43-1.13, respectively).
Conclusions:
The ATM gene expression was down-regulated in breast cancer tissues and a high ATM gene expression level in breast cancer tissue was associated with a favorable prognosis.
Insights
High ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene expression in breast cancer tissue indicates a favorable prognosis. ATM gene expression was significantly down-regulated in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- The ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene is crucial for DNA repair, cell-cycle arrest, and apoptosis.
- Previous research has not directly linked ATM gene expression to breast cancer patient survival outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between ATM gene expression levels and survival in breast cancer patients.
- To compare ATM gene expression in breast cancer tissues versus benign breast disease (BBD) tissues.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure ATM gene expression in tumor and adjacent normal tissues from 471 breast cancer patients and BBD controls.
- Cox regression models analyzed the correlation between ATM expression and patient survival (disease-free and overall).
Main Results:
- ATM gene expression was reduced by approximately 50% in breast cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues.
- ATM expression levels were similar in benign tumor and adjacent normal tissues in BBD cases.
- Higher ATM mRNA levels in breast cancer tissues correlated with improved disease-free survival (HR=0.46-0.52) and overall survival (HR=0.56-0.70).
Conclusions:
- ATM gene expression is down-regulated in breast cancer tissues.
- Elevated ATM gene expression in breast cancer tissue is associated with a favorable prognosis and improved survival outcomes.
