Gene expression profiles of the standardized uptake value in 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in tripple negative breast cancer. Gene expression profiles of the standardized uptake value in 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in tripple negative breast cancer

The standardized uptake value (SUV), an indicator of the glucose uptake degree in 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), has been used as a prognostic factor in malignant tumors. We aimed to identify a signature reflecting prognostic SUV characteristics in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Transcriptome profiling was performed to identify a signature associated with the SUV in TNBC patients who underwent preoperative FDG-PET. We defined a signature significantly associated with the SUV (|r| > .35; P < .01). The SUV signature showed independent clinical utility for predicting BRC prognosis. Integrative analysis demonstrated a significance of the signature in predicting the response to immunotherapy and revealed that a signaling axis defined by TP53-FOXM1 and its downstream effectors in glycolysis-gluconeogenesis, including LDHA, might be important mediators in the FDG-PET process. Our results reveal characteristics of glucose uptake captured by FDG-PET, supporting an understanding of glucose metabolism as well as poor prognosis in TNBC patients with a high SUV. Overall design: We prospectively collected tumor tissues from specimens of surgically resected breast cancer at the Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, between July 1997 and December 2007. A total of 84 patients with triple negative breast cancer were enrolled for gene expression profiling.