Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41560039›Full record

ArticleMedicine2026

Causality between immune cells and HER2-breast cancer: A 2‑sample Mendelian randomization study.

Mengdi Zhang, Dongqing Pu, Guangxi Shi, Jingwei Li

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Mengdi ZhangShandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan City, Shandong Province, China.ORCID 0000-0001-9881-5205
Dongqing PuDepartment of Thyroid and Breast Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan City, Shandong Province, China.
Guangxi ShiDepartment of Thyroid and Breast Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan City, Shandong Province, China.
Jingwei LiDepartment of Thyroid and Breast Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan City, Shandong Province, China.ORCID 0000-0002-9949-9934

Funding

Quality - improvement and Innovation Project for Doctoral Students of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine No. 33[2024], Documents of the University's Research Affairs
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study represents the first investigation employing 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR), multi-marker analysis of genomic annotation (MAGMA), Metascape, and the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) plotter database to elucidate the causal relationship between immune cells (ICs) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative breast cancer (HER2-BC). The findings provide genetic evidence supporting the association between ICs and HER2-BC risk. The 2-sample data for the Mendelian randomization study were sourced from public databases. In this study, ICs were selected as the exposure factor, and HER2-BC was taken as the outcome factor. MR analysis was conducted on the causal relationship between ICs and HER2-BC by using various regression models. Gene-based analysis was carried out through MAGMA, and the gene functions and pathway enrichments of the genes identified through Metascape analysis were explored. Finally, based on the K-M plotter database, the survival status of some ICs was analyzed. Among the 731 ICs, a total of 33 ICs were found to have a protective effect on HER2-BC, while 17 ICs had an adverse effect. After false discovery rate-bonferroni (PFDR < .05) correction, we detected 2 risk immunophenotypes of HER2-BC: human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DR on plasmacytoid DC, activated and secreting Treg %CD4+. A total of 38 genes were identified by MAGMA analysis. Metascape analysis revealed that the identified pleiotropic genes participated in negative regulation of cell migration, VEGFA-VEGFR2 signaling pathways. The survival analysis based on K-M plotter found that when CD4, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DRA, and ESR1 are highly expressed, the upper quartile survival rate of OS, RFS, and distant metastasis free survival is longer. This study showed that the immune response affects the progress of HER2-BC in a complex mode. These findings greatly improve our understanding of the interaction between immune response and HER2-BC risk, and also help to design therapeutic strategies for HER2-BC from the perspective of immunology.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesMendelian Randomization AnalysisFemaleHumansERBB2 protein, humanErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases2-samplegenetic associationHER2-breast cancerimmunophenotypesMendelian randomization

Identifiers

PMID41560039
PMCPMC12826194

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.