Objective: To screen differentially expressed genes and identify potential signaling pathway in Asian people with breast cancer.
Methods: Five gene microarray datasets of Asian people with breast cancer, GSE6367, GSE9309, GSE15852, GSE33447 and GSE45255, were downloaded from GEO. Microarrays with 318 breast cancer and 60 normal breast tissues were used for analysis of differentially expressed genes and pathway. 32 pairs of breast cancer patients' specimens were used to validate the differentially expressed genes by real-time PCR.
Results: Analysis of the large sample of microarray data identified 436 differentially expressed genes in breast cancer tissues, while 259 of these genes were up-regulated and the other 177 down-regulated. Pathway analysis showed that metabolism-related signaling pathway may be involved in the development of breast cancer in Asian people. The expressions of KRT19, ADIPOQ, CFD, RBP4, LPL, ABCA8 and CD36 genes were confirmed by real-time PCR.
Conclusion: This study shows differential gene expression profile and potential signaling pathway in Asian people with breast cancer. CD36 gene may be closely related to the Asian breast cancer. ABCA8 gene may be a new disease gene in Asian breast cancer.