DNA Methylation Signatures in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Epigenetic changes are involved in the onset and progression of cancer, and the detection of DNA methylation signatures may foster the improvement of diagnosis and prognosis. While the emergence of innovative technologies has fostered numerous studies in breast cancer, many lack statistical power due to the small sample sizes generally involved. In this study, we present a novel meta-analysis that identifies a common pattern of DNA methylation in all breast cancer subtypes. We obtained DNA methylation signatures at the gene and biological function level, identifying those significant groups of genes and functional pathways affected. To achieve this, we conducted a thorough systematic review following PRISMA statement guidelines for the selection of studies on DNA methylation in breast cancer. In total, we gathered four studies (GSE52865, GSE141338, GSE59901 and GSE101443) that were split into 13 comparisons comprising a set of 144 individuals. We discovered that most breast cancer subtypes share a significant deregulation in the immune system and alterations to the cell cycle. This integrative approach combines all available information from public data repositories and possesses greater statistical power than any individual study. Further evaluations of the identified differential biological processes and pathways may support the identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Simple summary The identification of DNA methylation patterns in breast cancer represents a potentially valuable approach in defining more accurate diagnoses and treatment options. In this study, we applied a novel methodology that integrates the DNA methylation profiles of all studies available in public repositories via systematic review and meta-analysis. The results provide evidence of a common DNA methylation signature in distinct breast cancer subtypes, which reflects a significant deregulation of the immune system and alterations to the cell cycle. Overall, these results may support the selection of disease/treatment biomarkers and the identification of therapeutic targets.

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