Molecular mechanism of activated T cells in breast cancer

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.

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.

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-20-b-5p-HCP5 were explored in the ceRNA network.

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.