CCNB2 expression correlates with worse outcomes in breast cancer patients: a pooled analysis

ABSTRACT

Cyclin B2 (CCNB2) is upregulated in Breast Cancer (BC) and associated with worse relapse-free survival (RFS). However, its correlation with other clinical outcomes in BC was yet to be clarified. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the clinical significance of CCNB2 in BC. A comprehensive search was performed in PrognoScan and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases by searching the keywords of CCNB2 and breast cancer. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) of overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS), and their corresponding 95 percent confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Sensitivity analysis by omitting one study at a time and publication bias assessment by Egger’s test and Begg’s test were conducted. The clinical outcomes were externally verified via Kaplan-Meier Plotter. All of the statistical analyses were performed through STATA 17.0, and P values of less than 0.05 were taken to be statistically significant. Seven records with 1,074 participants were included for OS, with HR of 1.71 (95 percent CI = 1.24–2.35). Verification through Kaplan-Meier Plotter online tool based on 1,897 patients showed an HR of 1.75 (95 percent CI = 1.45–2.12, P < .01). For RFS, 11 records with 1,253 participants were included with the pooled HR of 1.37 (95 percent CI: 1.10–1.71). Verification based on 4,929 patients found and HR of 1.97 (95 percent CI = 1.78–2.19, P < .01). Regarding DMFS, the pooled HR of 10 records with 1,395 participants was 1.60 (95 percent CI: 1.24–2.05) and verification based on 2,765 patients revealed an HR of 1.97 (95 percent CI = 1.68–2.31, P < .01). For DSS, four records with 689 participants were included for DSS, with HR of 1.38 (95 percent CI = 0.59–3.24). The HR of DFS was 1.60 (95 percent CI: 0.46–5.51) after pooling 3 records with 379 participants. High expression of CCNB2 in BC is associated with worse OS, RFS, and DMFS, but not with DSS and DFS. More well-designed studies from different populations and different BC types are still needed.

KEYWORDS:

• Breast cancer
• CCNB2
• pooled-analysis

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge PrognoScan database, GEO database, and Kaplan-Meier Plotter for providing their platforms and contributors for uploading their meaningful datasets.

Disclosure statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available in PrognoScan database, GEO database, and Kaplan-Meier Plotter. These data were derived from the following resources available in the public domain: PrognoScan database, GEO database, and Kaplan-Meier Plotter. The patients involved in the databases and online platforms have obtained ethical approval. Users can download or use the relevant data for free for research and publish relevant articles. Our study is based on open-source data, so there are no ethical issues and other conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported that there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.