title: Compartment switching of WNT-2 expression in human breast tumors.
abstract: WNT-2 is a secreted polypeptide with mitogenic effects in murine mammary epithelial cells, but its role in human cancer is unknown. Using RNase protection analysis of primary cell preparations and in situ hybridization analysis, we report that WNT-2 is expressed at low levels in normal human breast fibroblasts but not in epithelial cells. WNT-2 was found to be expressed at high levels in both the epithelium and stroma of 5 of 11 infiltrating carcinomas and 2 of 6 fibroadenomas. The high level of WNT-2 expression in tumor epithelium suggests that tumorigenesis may involve the ectopic expression of WNT-2 and the creation of an autocrine Wnt signaling loop.
authors.affiliation: Section of Cell Biology and Experimental Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, Haddow Laboratories, Sutton, Surrey, United Kingdom. trevor@icr.ac.uk
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Dale
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Weber-Hall
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Huguet
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jayatilake
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Gusterson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shuttleworth
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Hare
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D051154:Wnt2 Protein
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051154:Wnt2 Protein