Upregulation of <i>ST3GAL5</i> predicts suppression of malignant biological behavior in bladder cancer

Abstract Background Bladder cancer (BLCA) is the most prevalent malignancy in the urinary tract system, while ST3GAL5 is a protein‐coding gene that catalyzes the formation of ganglioside monosialodihexosylganglioside 3 (GM3) synthase. GM3 synthase has been reported to significantly influence the malignant process of various cancers. However, the expression profile and functional role of ST3GAL5 specifucally in BLCA remain to be elucidated. Methods In order to investigate the relationship between ST3GAL5 expression and malignant biological behavior and prognosis in BLCA. The mRNA expression of ST3GAL5 and clinicopathological characteristics in BLCA were firstly evaluated by public databases. Next, immunohistochemical staining was performed to analyze the protein expression of ST3GAL5 in BLCA and paracancerous tissues, as well as the expression of various types of malignant biological behavior. Subsequently, the gene set enrichment analyses (GSEA) were performed for ST3GAL5 and all correlated genes in BLCA by sorting Pearson's Correlation Coefficient. GSEA was also used to validate the pathways affected by the different expression levels of ST3GAL5 in BLCA patients. Results The mRNA and protein expression of ST3GAL5 in BLCA were significantly higher in low‐grade and non‐muscle‐invasive BLCA ( p &lt; 0.05). The results from bioinformatics databases indicated that upregulation of ST3GAL5 have a lower grade, lower pathological stage, less susceptibility to lymphatic metastasis, and lower mortality rates. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis demonstrated that upregulation of ST3GAL5 was associated with better survival in BLCA ( p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion Upregulation of ST3GAL5 may be related to tumor suppression in BLCA, and may be a potential prognostic and therapeutic marker for BLCA.