Bioinformatics analysis of prognostic significance of COL10A1 in breast cancer

Abstract Background: Collagen type X alpha 1 (COL10A1) is overexpressed in diverse tumors and displays vital roles in tumorigenesis. However, the prognostic value of COL10A1 in breast cancer remains unclear. Methods: The expression of COL10A1 was analyzed by the Oncomine database and UALCAN cancer database. The relationship between COL10A1 expression level and clinical indicators including prognostic data in breast cancer were analyzed by the Kaplan–Meier Plotter, PrognoScan, and Breast Cancer Gene-Expression Miner (bc-GenExMiner) databases. Results: COL10A1 was up-regulated in different subtypes of breast cancer. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) status and nodal status were positively correlated with COL10A1 expression. Conversely, age, the Scarff–Bloom–Richardson (SBR) grade, basal-like status, and triple-negative status were negatively related to COL10A1 level in breast cancer samples compared with normal tissues. Patients with increased COL10A1 expression level showed worse overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and disease-free survival (DFS). COL10A1 was positively correlated with metastatic relapse-free survival. GSEA analysis revealed that enrichment of TGF-β signaling pathway. 15-leucine-rich repeat containing membrane protein (LRRC15) is a correlated gene of COL10A1. Conclusion: Bioinformatics analysis revealed that COL10A1 might be considered as a predictive biomarker for prognosis of breast cancer. Further experiments and clinical trials are essential to elucidate the value of COL10A1 in breast cancer treatment.