Expression and association of HNRNPA2B1 with clinical prognosis in breast cancer: An evaluation based on the TCGA and GEO databases

Abstract

Breast cancer, which is a prevalent malignancy among women worldwide, poses significant health and economic burdens. We aimed to investigate the expression of the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 (HNRNPA2B1) gene in patients with BC and its association with clinical outcomes. An in-depth evaluation of differential expression was conducted using data from The Cancer Genome Atla and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. Enrichment analysis and prognostic modeling were utilized. HNRNPA2B1 was notably increased in BC samples when contrasted with normal tissues, and this upregulation correlated with various clinical outcomes. Our prognostic analysis demonstrated a robust link between HNRNPA2B1 expression levels and BC clinical staging, indicating that higher levels of this gene may be linked to more advanced disease stages. Immune cell infiltration analysis indicated substantial distinctions in 7 immune cell-type differences at high and low HNRNPA2B1 expression groups. Elevated HNRNPA2B1 expression was associated with reduced sensitivity to multiple chemotherapeutic agents. Additionally, a multivariate Cox regression model was used to establish a relationship with HNRNPA2B1 expression. This study underscores the critical role of HNRNPA2B1 in BC biology and its potential as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target, warranting further investigation into its mechanistic pathways and clinical applications.