Objective: To study the expression of MRPL13  in breast cancer tissues using TCGA database, analyze the correlation between the expression and clinicopathological characteristics of patients, and explore the role of MRPL13  in the development of breast cancer (BC).
Methods: The BC mRNA data and clinical information were downloaded from TCGA database. The correlation between MRPL13  expression and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed. Cox regression multivariate analysis was used to explore the factors affecting the prognosis of BC patients. The UALCAN database was used to analyze the expression level of MRPL13  in BC and its relationship with clinical pathological factors. The GSEA method was used to predict the possible regulatory pathways of MRPL13 . Immune responses of MRPL13  expression were analyzed using TISIDB and CIBERSORT. Additionally, GEPIA, K-M survival analysis and data from the HPA were used to validate the outcomes.
Results: The expression of MRPL13  in BC tissues was significantly higher than normal counterparts, patients with low MRPL13  expression had a better survival prognosis, also indicated an independent prognostic factor. GSEA analysis showed that the regulation of cell migration, positive regulation of endothelial cell migration, and Notch signaling pathway were enriched in tissues with low expression of MRPL13 . Additionally, depleting MRPL13  expression inhibited invasion in MCF-10A and MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, PCR showed that MRPL13  affected VEGFA and MMP gene expression. CIBERSORT analysis revealed that the amount of NK cells decreased when MRPL13  expression was high.
Conclusion: The expression of MRPL13  mRNA is upregulated in BC tissues, and the expression level of MRPL13  is significantly related to the clinicopathological factors of patients. High MRPL13  expression is a poor prognostic factor for BC, and it can be used as a molecular marker for prognosis judgment and as a potential therapeutic target.
Keywords: cancer genome map, breast cancer, MRPL13 , clinical significance