Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 4, 2025
Optimization of a Multiplex RNA-based Expression Assay Using Breast Cancer Archival Material
Published on: August 1, 2018
Hedgehog gene expression patterns among intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer: Prognostic relevance
Araceli García-Martínez1, Ariadna Pérez-Balaguer1, Fernando Ortiz-Martínez1
1Research Unit, University General Hospital of Alicante, and Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL), Pintor Baeza 12, 03010 Alicante, Spain.
Purpose:
Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is a crucial developmental regulatory pathway recognized as a primary oncogenesis driver in various human cancers. However, its role in breast carcinoma (BC) has been underexplored.
Methods:
We analyzed the expression of several Hh associated genes in a clinical series and breast cancer cell lines. We included 193 BC stratified according to intrinsic immunophenotypes. Gene expression profiling ofBOC, PTCH, SMO, GLI1, GLI2, and GLI3 was performed by qRT-PCR. Results were correlated with clinical-pathological variables and outcome.
Results:
We observed expression ofGLI2 in triple-negative/basal-like (TN/BL) and GLI3 in luminal cells. In samples, BOC, GLI1, GLI2, and GLI3 expression correlated significantly with luminal tumors and good prognostic factors. In contrast, PTCH and SMO correlated with TN/BL phenotype and nodal involvement. Patients whose tumors expressed SMO had a poorer outcome, especially those with HER2 phenotype. Positive lymph-node status and high SMO remained independent poor prognostic factors.
Conclusion:
Our results support a differential Hh pathway activation in BC phenotypes.SMO levels stratified patients at risk of recurrence and death in HER2 phenotype, and it showed an independent prognostic value. Therefore, SMO could be a potential therapeutic target for a subset of BC patients.
