Investigation of the Expression of Bcl‐2 Interacting Protein 3 (BNIP3) and Its Molecular Association With Tumor Hypoxia and Immune Response in Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND: BNIP3 is a crucial gene involved in mitophagy that modulates mitochondrial and cellular homeostasis. However, there is limited research examining its biological regulation. The current study investigates the expression of BNIP3 in breast cancer, and its relationship with hypoxia and immune response. METHODS: BNIP3 expression and its effect on clinical prognosis was assessed using TCGA database. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify the expression of BNIP3 in 50 cases of invasive breast carcinomas. Gene expression of BNIP3 was assessed in breast cancer cell lines exposed to hypoxia. The expression levels of BNIP3 were correlated with multiple clinicopathologic variables, HIF-1α and NF-κB (p65). The association between BNIP3 and cancer immune infiltration was investigated using the TIMER database. RESULTS: In breast cancer, an overexpression of BNIP3 has been substantially linked to a poor survival rate. Immunohistochemical analysis showed a repression of BNIP3 in patient samples tested. An increase in the gene expression of BNIP3 was observed in breast cancer cell lines exposed to hypoxic conditions. Our results demonstrate a positive correlation between expression of BNIP3 and the expression of hypoxia and immune response markers, as well as the lobular subtypes of invasive breast cancer. CONCLUSION: According to the study findings, BNIP3 expression is lower in breast cancer and may influence the prognosis and play a role in immune modulation. Our findings suggest that hypoxia and immune response regulate the expression of BNIP3 in breast cancer. Hence the results signify the importance of BNIP3 as a prognostic marker in breast tumor progression.