title: Transcription profile of a human breast cancer cell line expressing MMTV-like sequences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been postulated that inflammation caused by certain viruses might result in cancer. Recently, it was shown that childhood lymphoblastic leukemia, breast and ovarian cancers express an interferon-related signature, providing support for this notion. We have previously shown that 38% of the sporadic breast cancers contain MMTV-like env gene sequences. To find out if the presence and expression of MMTV-like sequences correlated with an inflammatory phenotype, we have compared the expression profile of two sublines of MCF-7 cells, one containing the MMTV-like sequences (env+), the other one lacking them (env-).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated that there were 47 differentially expressed genes between the two sublines. Among 27 upregulated genes in the env+ cells there were 7 interferon-related genes, 5 TNF-connected genes and 2 TGFbeta-related genes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the env+ cells were most likely responding to an infectious agent, and support the hypothesis that a viral infection may play a role in breast cancer pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA. mariana.fernandez@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Cobo
authors.forename: Stella M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Melana
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: Beatriz G T
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Pogo