title: Crosstalk analysis of pathways in breast cancer using a network model based on overlapping differentially expressed genes.
abstract: Multiple signal transduction pathways can affect each other considerably through crosstalk. However, the presence and extent of this phenomenon have not been rigorously studied. The aim of the present study was to identify strong and normal interactions between pathways in breast cancer and determine the main pathway. Five sets of breast cancer data were downloaded from the high-throughput Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and analyzed to identify differentially expressed (DE) genes using the Rank Product (RankProd) method. A list of pathways with differential expression was obtained by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. The DE genes that overlapped between pathways were identified and a crosstalk network diagram based on the overlap of DE genes was constructed. A total of 1,464 DE genes and 26 pathways were identified. In addition, the number of DE genes that overlapped between specific pathways were determined, and the greatest degree of overlap was between the extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction and Focal adhesion pathways, which had 22 overlapping DE genes. Weighted pathway analysis of the crosstalk between pathways identified that Pathways in cancer was the main pathway in breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China ; Department of General Surgery, Laiwu Hospital Affiliated to Taishan Medical College, Laiwu, Shandong 271100, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Laiwu Hospital Affiliated to Taishan Medical College, Laiwu, Shandong 271100, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Laiwu Hospital Affiliated to Taishan Medical College, Laiwu, Shandong 271100, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qi-Wen
authors.initials: QW
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xing-Song
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Tian
keywords: RankProd; breast cancer; crosstalk; gene set enrichment analysis; pathway