Upregulated expression of DDX5 predicts recurrence and poor prognosis in breast cancer

DEAD-box helicase 5 (DDX5) has been shown to promote tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, the relationship between DDX5 and recurrence in breast cancer (BC) patients remains unknown. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the correlation of DDX5 with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) in patients with BC. The expression of DDX5 was examined by immunohistochemical analysis. RFS was calculated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Univariate and multivariable associations were assessed by Cox proportional hazards models. In the present study, a total of 868 BC patients were analysed, and we found that DDX5 protein was significantly overexpressed in BC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Elevated DDX5 was associated with an aggressive phenotype in BC patients. Moreover, DDX5 protein was upregulated in recurrent patients compared with nonrecurrent patients, and DDX5 protein levels were positively associated with worse RFS and BCSS in BC patients. High DDX5 expressing BC patients with age more than 50 year, advanced clinical stage or histological grade had a significantly increased risk of recurrence and shorter survival. Our findings highlight the significance of DDX5 in the recurrence and clinical outcome of BC patients and suggest that DDX5 may be a potential predictive biomarker for patients with BC.