Amplified Cell Cycle Genes Identified in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

Simple Summary The current investigation identifies differentially expressed genes that specifically influence the serous subtype of ovarian cancer. This subtype accounts for around three-quarters of ovarian cancer cases. To identify these genes, transcriptomic profiles of serous ovarian cancer and non-cancerous tissue samples were extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Differentially expressed genes were derived using GEO2R tool analyses; genes consistently found among upregulated genes in these profiles were considered to be a serous gene set. Next, the serous gene set was examined for its ontological function using the Molecular Signatures Database and its mutational impact on the gene expression profile of high-grade serous ovarian (HGSO) adenocarcinoma. Results showed that 26 genes are amplified in over 5% of HGSO cancer patients, and many of these amplified genes are related to the cell cycle. These cell cycle-related genes were also identified as being involved in the recurrence of serous ovarian cancer. Overall, this study identifies genes that are potential prognostic markers for serous ovarian cancer.Abstract The objective of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes and their potential influence on the carcinogenesis of serous-type ovarian cancer tumors. Serous cancer is an epithelial ovarian cancer subtype and is the most common type of ovarian cancer. Transcriptomic profiles of serous cancer and non-cancerous datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO-NCBI). Differentially expressed genes were then derived from those profiles; the identified genes were consistently upregulated in three or more transcriptomic profiles. These genes were considered as the serous ovarian cancer gene set for further study. The serous gene set derived from the transcriptomic profiles was then evaluated for ontological functional analysis using the Molecular Signatures Database. Next, we examined the mutational impact of this serous gene set on the transcriptomic profile of high-grade serous ovarian (HGSO) adenocarcinoma using the cBioPortal database. Results from OncoPrint revealed that 26 genes were amplified in more than 5% of HGSO cancer patients. Interestingly, several of these genes are involved in cell cycle processes, including genes ATPase family AAA domain containing 2 (ATAD2), recQ-like helicase 4 (RECQL4), cyclin E1 (CCNE1), anti-silencing function 1B histone chaperone (ASF1B), ribonuclease H2 subunit A (RNASEH2A), structural maintenance of chromosome 4 (SMC4), cell division cycle associated 20 (CDC20), and cell division cycle associated 8 (CDCA8). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve results also revealed higher specificity and sensitivity for this subtype of tumors. Furthermore, these genes may affect the recurrence of serous ovarian carcinogenesis. Overall, our analytical study identifies cell cycle-related genes that can potentially be targeted as diagnostic and prognostic markers for serous ovarian cancer.