title: Downregulation of delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase is associated with poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer.
abstract: Delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALAD) catalyzes the second step in the biosynthesis of heme and is also an endogenous inhibitor of the 26S proteasome. The role of ALAD in breast cancer progression is still unclear. In this study, we found that the expression of ALAD was downregulated in breast cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal breast tissues. Enhanced ALAD expression was associated with a favorable outcome in patients with breast cancer. Overexpression of ALAD suppresses breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion and inhibits the epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype. Furthermore, we found that ALAD regulates transforming growth factor-β-mediated breast cancer progression. This finding suggests that ALAD might be a potential biomarker for breast cancer that suppresses breast cancer progression by regulating transforming growth factor-β-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: First Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: First Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.affiliation: First Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Zheng-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: First Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Meng
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: First Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China.|Department of Breast Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Sheng
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: First Department of Breast Cancer, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China.|Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Xu-Chen
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3216-6673
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D015536:Down-Regulation; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D034622:RNA Interference; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase
keywords: 
  ALAD
  ; TGF-β; breast cancer; epithelial-mesenchymal transition; prognostic factor