Histopathological evaluation of RPL5 expression in triple-negative breast cancer: an integrated immunohistochemical...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with limited treatment options.
• Ribosomal protein L5 (RPL5) is involved in ribosome biogenesis and cellular processes.
• Understanding RPL5's role in TNBC is crucial for identifying new therapeutic targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the expression pattern of RPL5 in TNBC tissues.
• To explore the potential biological significance of RPL5 in TNBC.
• To analyze the association of RPL5 with clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate RPL5 protein expression in 37 TNBC and 7 normal breast tissues.
• Public transcriptomic datasets (TCGA-BRCA, GEO) were analyzed for RPL5 gene expression.
• Co-expression, Gene Ontology, and KEGG pathway analyses were performed.

Main Results:

• RPL5 protein expression was significantly lower in TNBC tissues compared to normal tissues (p=0.001).
• RPL5 gene expression was significantly higher in TNBC compared to non-TNBC subtypes (p<0.001).
• No significant associations were found between RPL5 expression and clinicopathological parameters or overall survival.

Conclusions:

• Abnormal RPL5 expression is associated with TNBC biology, potentially via ribosome-related pathways.
• RPL5 may serve as a potential histopathological and molecular indicator for TNBC.
• Further experimental validation is required to elucidate the precise functional role of RPL5 in TNBC.