title: Molecular portrait of breast cancer in China reveals comprehensive transcriptomic likeness to Caucasian breast cancer and low prevalence of luminal A subtype.
abstract: The recent dramatic increase in breast cancer incidence across China with progressive urbanization and economic development has signaled the urgent need for molecular and clinical detailing of breast cancer in the Chinese population. Our analyses of a unique transethnic collection of breast cancer frozen specimens from Shanghai Fudan Cancer Center (Chinese Han) profiled simultaneously with an analogous Caucasian Italian series revealed consistent transcriptomic data lacking in batch effects. The prevalence of Luminal A subtype was significantly lower in Chinese series, impacting the overall prevalence of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive disease in a large cohort of Chinese/Caucasian patients. Unsupervised and supervised comparison of gene and microRNA (miRNA) profiles of Chinese and Caucasian samples revealed extensive similarity in the comprehensive taxonomy of transcriptional elements regulating breast cancer biology. Partition of gene expression data using gene lists relevant to breast cancer as "intrinsic" and "extracellular matrix" genes identified Chinese and Caucasian subgroups with equivalent global gene and miRNA profiles. These findings indicate that in the Chinese and Caucasian groups, breast neoplasia and the surrounding stromal characteristics undergo the same differentiation and molecular processes. Transcriptional similarity across transethnic cohorts may simplify translational medicine approaches and clinical management of breast cancer patients worldwide.
authors: Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors: Xiaoyan
authors: X
authors: Huang
authors: Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: Matteo
authors: M
authors: Dugo
authors: Biomarkers Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Callari
authors: Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Sandri
authors: Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: Loris
authors: L
authors: De Cecco
authors: Department of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Valeri
authors: Department of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: Maria Luisa
authors: ML
authors: Carcangiu
authors: Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors: Jingyan
authors: J
authors: Xue
authors: Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Bi
authors: Biomarkers Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Veneroni
authors: Biomarkers Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: Maria Grazia
authors: MG
authors: Daidone
authors: Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: Sylvie
authors: S
authors: Ménard
authors: Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: Elda
authors: E
authors: Tagliabue
authors: Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors: Zhimin
authors: Z
authors: Shao
authors: Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
authors: Jiong
authors: J
authors: Wu
authors: Molecular Targeting Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors: Rosaria
authors: R
authors: Orlandi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D015995:Prevalence; D059467:Transcriptome; D047368:Tumor Burden; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Breast cancer; Chinese/Caucasian; gene expression profiling; miRNA profiling; race/ethnicity