Race-associated biological differences among luminal A and basal-like breast cancers in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study

BACKGROUND: We examined racial differences in the expression of eight genes and their associations with risk of recurrence among 478 white and 495 black women who participated in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study Phase 3. METHODS: Breast tumor samples were analyzed for PAM50 subtype and for eight genes previously found to be differentially expressed by race and associated with breast cancer survival: ACOX2, MUC1, FAM177A1, GSTT2, PSPH, PSPHL, SQLE, and TYMS. The expression of these genes according to race was assessed using linear regression and each gene was evaluated in association with recurrence using Cox regression. RESULTS: Compared to white women, black women had lower expression of MUC1, a suspected good prognosis gene, and higher expression of GSTT2, PSPHL, SQLE, and TYMS, suspected poor prognosis genes, after adjustment for age and PAM50 subtype. High expression (greater than median versus less than or equal to median) of FAM177A1 and PSPH was associated with a 63% increase (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09–2.46) and 76% increase (HR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.15–2.68), respectively, in risk of recurrence after adjustment for age, race, PAM50 subtype, and ROR-PT score. Log(2)-transformed SQLE expression was associated with a 20% increase (HR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.03–1.41) in recurrence risk after adjustment. A continuous multi-gene score comprised of eight genes was also associated with increased risk of recurrence among all women (HR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.04–1.19) and among white (HR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.03–1.27) and black (HR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.02–1.20) women. CONCLUSIONS: Racial differences in gene expression may contribute to the survival disparity observed between black and white women diagnosed with breast cancer. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13058-017-0914-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.