VDAC1 Conversely Correlates with Cytc Expression and Predicts Poor Prognosis in Human Breast Cancer Patients

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Breast cancer (BC) is a significant global health concern.
• Understanding molecular markers for prognosis is crucial for effective treatment strategies.
• Voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) and Cytochrome C (Cytc) are implicated in cellular processes relevant to cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between VDAC1 expression and Cytochrome C (Cytc) in breast cancer (BC).
• To evaluate the correlation of VDAC1 and Cytc with clinicopathological features and patient prognosis.
• To explore the functional role of VDAC1 in BC cell proliferation and migration.

Main Methods:

• Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of VDAC1 and Cytc expression in 219 BC tissues and 100 benign breast lesions.
• In vitro studies including MTT assays and wound healing migration assays to assess VDAC1's effect on BC cells (MCF-7).

Main Results:

• VDAC1 expression was inversely correlated with Cytc expression in BC (P = 0.011), particularly in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (P = 0.004).
• Knockdown of VDAC1 significantly inhibited proliferation (P < 0.001) and migration (P < 0.05) of MCF-7 cells.
• High VDAC1 and low Cytc expression were significantly associated with adverse clinicopathological parameters (P < 0.05) and poor 5-year disease-free survival (5-DFS) (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• VDAC1 is upregulated in breast cancer tissues and shows an inverse relationship with Cytc.
• Elevated VDAC1 expression serves as a potential biomarker for predicting poor prognosis in BC patients, especially those with TNBC.