The top 10 screened BC genes from the 27 DEGs were STAT1, IRF7, OAS1, OAS2, USP18, CMPK2, OASL, ISG15, IFI6, and OAS3 (Fig. 2F), and their ranks and scores were shown in Additional file 1 Table S1. This evidence concerns the gene USP18 and breast cancer.