title: Detection of estrogen receptor-beta mRNA in breast cancer using RT-PCR.
abstract: The estrogen receptor (ER) is the most useful marker currently available for breast cancer, being used both to predict response to therapy and assess prognosis. Recently, a new form of the ER, known as ER-beta, was identified. In this preliminary study we show that ER-beta mRNA was expressed less frequently in breast cancers than ER-alpha. ER-alpha but not ER-beta levels correlated with ER protein as determined by ELISA. We conclude that ER-beta is expressed in approximately 50% of breast cancers but it does not appear to be detected by a widely available ELISA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: MaGuire
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Diggin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McDermott
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: O'Higgins
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Duffy
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen