Clinical and Prognostic Relevance of BRIP1 Expression in Colorectal Cancer: Evidence from TCGA and Korean Cohorts

Background and Objectives: BRCA1-interacting protein C-terminal helicase 1 (BRIP1) encodes a member of the RecQ DEAH helicase family and interacts with the BRCT repeats of breast cancer type 1 (BRCA1). It also participates in DNA damage repair and tumor suppression; thus, its mutations may be associated with an increased risk of several cancers, including fallopian tube and ovarian cancer. Recent research has explored whether BRIP1 dysregulation also contributes to the development and progression of other malignancies. This study investigated the clinical and prognostic value of BRIP1 in colorectal cancer (CRC). Materials and Methods: We first analyzed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset to evaluate the prognostic significance of BRIP1 mRNA expression in CRC. BRIP1 expression was subsequently examined in tumor tissues from 60 CRC patients, and its associations with clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes were assessed. Results: In rectal cancer, a higher BRIP1 expression was associated with younger age. In colon cancer, BRIP1 expression was correlated with gender, lymphatic invasion, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, pathological stage, M stage, N stage, microsatellite instability (MSI) status, and anatomical tumor location. Survival analysis showed that low BRIP1 expression was associated with poorer overall survival in both rectal and colon cancers significantly. In CRC patient tissues, lower BRIP1 expression was further related to elevated CEA levels and unfavorable clinical outcomes. Lower BRIP1 mRNA expression is significantly associated with aggressive clinicopathological features and poor prognosis in CRC. Conclusions: BRIP1 may serve as a promising biomarker for risk stratification and a potential therapeutic target in the management of CRC.