Breast cancer affects women at relatively high frequency (1). We mined published microarray datasets (2, 3) to determine in an unbiased fashion and at the systems level genes most differentially expressed in the primary tumors of patients with breast cancer. We report here significant differential expression of the gene encoding anthrax toxin receptor 2, ANTXR2, when comparing primary tumors of the breast to the tissue of origin, the normal breast. ANTXR2 mRNA was present at significantly lower quantities in tumors of the breast as compared to normal breast tissue. Analysis of human survival data revealed that expression of ANTXR2 in primary tumors of the breast was correlated with post-progression survival in patients with basal subtype cancer, demonstrating a relationship between primary tumor expression of a differentially expressed gene and patient survival outcomes influenced by molecular subtype. ANTXR2 may be of relevance to initiation, maintenance or progression of cancers of the female breast.
Protective effect of anthrax toxin receptor 2 polymorphism rs4333130 against the risk of ankylosing spondylitis
