Quantitative profile of estrogen receptor variants/isoforms in Taiwanese women with breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify ER variants/isoforms for women with breast cancer in Taiwan, an area with remarkably low breast cancer rates, but with an early onset and poor prognosis.


METHODS
Real-time PCR technology was exploited to quantify mRNAs of ERalpha, ERalphaE3Delta, ERalphaE5Delta, ERalphaE7Delta and ERbeta, in 49 breast cancer and paired adjacent normal tissues. Clinical parameters were assembled and tested for assocation with the ER expression.


RESULTS
Comparison of cancer and matched normal samples showed significantly decreased ERbeta (p < 0.001) in cancer tissues, and constant amounts of ERalpha and their variants. The results revealed significantly lower ERalphaE7Delta/ERalpha (p = 0.030) and ERbeta/ERalpha (p = 0.035) ratios in patients with lymph node (LN) metastasis than in those without LN metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggests that ERalphaE7Delta and ERbeta may regulate ERalpha in normal human breast tissue.
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC.
W-C
WC
Hsiao
W-C
WC
Cho
P-W
PW
Lin
S-L
SL
Lin
W-Y
WY
Lee
K-C
KC
Young
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001940:Breast / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015536:Down-Regulation; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D013624:Taiwan
D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen