PMID- 29796176 OWN - NLM STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE LR - 20220318 IS - 1949-2553 (Electronic) IS - 1949-2553 (Linking) VI - 9 IP - 33 DP - 2018 May 1 TI - Association of increased primary breast tumor AGR2 with decreased disease-specific survival. PG - 23114-23125 LID - 10.18632/oncotarget.25225 [doi] AB - OBJECTIVE: Tumor expression of Anterior Gradient 2 (AGR2), an endoplasmic reticulum protein disulfide isomerase, was associated with decreased breast cancer survival. We aimed to validate the association of tumor AGR2 mRNA expression with disease-specific survival (DSS) and identify differentially expressed signaling pathways between high and low AGR2 expression tumor groups. METHODS: Primary tumor mRNA expression data from the METABRIC study was used to evaluate AGR2 expression as a prognostic factor for DSS while adjusting for survival-determining confounders using Cox proportional-hazards regression. Differentially expressed genes and signaling pathway differences between high and low AGR2 groups were determined by modular enrichment analyses using DAVID and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. RESULTS: Increased tumor AGR2 mRNA expression was associated with decreased DSS among 1,341 women (per each standard deviation increase of AGR2 expression: HR 1.14, 95% CI: 1.01-1.29, P = 0.03). Pathway analyses supported prior experimental studies showing that estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) regulated AGR2 expression. Canonical signaling pathways significantly differentially represented between high and low AGR2 groups included those involved in inflammation and immunity. CONCLUSION: Increased primary tumor AGR2 expression was associated with decreased DSS. Pathway analyses suggested that increased AGR2 was associated with endoplasmic reticular homeostasis, possibly allowing tumor cells to overcome hypoxic stress and meet the increased protein demand of tumorigenesis, thereby preventing unfolded protein response-mediated apoptosis. FAU - Ann, Phoebe AU - Ann P AD - Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 60611 Chicago, IL, USA. FAU - Seagle, Brandon-Luke L AU - Seagle BL AD - Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 60611 Chicago, IL, USA. FAU - Shilpi, Arunima AU - Shilpi A AD - Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 60611 Chicago, IL, USA. FAU - Kandpal, Manoj AU - Kandpal M AD - Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 60611 Chicago, IL, USA. FAU - Shahabi, Shohreh AU - Shahabi S AD - Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 60611 Chicago, IL, USA. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20180501 PL - United States TA - Oncotarget JT - Oncotarget JID - 101532965 PMC - PMC5955412 OTO - NOTNLM OT - AGR2 OT - ER+ breast cancer OT - primary tumor mRNA COIS- CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. EDAT- 2018/05/26 06:00 MHDA- 2018/05/26 06:01 PMCR- 2018/05/01 CRDT- 2018/05/26 06:00 PHST- 2017/07/21 00:00 [received] PHST- 2018/04/04 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2018/05/26 06:00 [entrez] PHST- 2018/05/26 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2018/05/26 06:01 [medline] PHST- 2018/05/01 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - 25225 [pii] AID - 10.18632/oncotarget.25225 [doi] PST - epublish SO - Oncotarget. 2018 May 1;9(33):23114-23125. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.25225. eCollection 2018 May 1.