3-Dimensional microarray analysis of estrogen signal-related genes in breast cancer tissues.
BACKGROUND
Expression analysis of estrogen response genes (ERGs) may help to predict the effectiveness of endocrine therapies in breast cancer patients. We produced a custom-made, 3-dimensional microarray system (3DMS), using previously identified ERGs, and analyzed expression of ERGs on breast cancer tissues.


METHODS
aRNA was synthesized from 27 breast cancer tumors. The aRNAs were applied to the infrastructure of a 3DMS with spotted cDNA probes to 36 ERGs. Data were analyzed by cluster analysis.


RESULTS
All 27 specimens were classified clearly into one of two clusters based on whether the ERGs were up or down regulated. These groups correlated with high expression of ER (P<0.05) and Her2 (P<0.05). In some cases, ERG expressions were low even though the tumor was ER positive.


CONCLUSIONS
3DMS may be useful for accurately predicting prognosis and whether endocrine therapies targeting the ER would be effective in an individual breast cancer patient.
Department of Molecular and Functional Dynamics, Course of Health Science, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1, Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 981-0872, Japan. m-matsumoto@mail.tains.tohoku.ac.jp
Mitsuyo
M
Matsumoto
Hiroko
H
Sakamoto
Yuri
Y
Yamaguchi
Yuko
Y
Seino
Hiroyuki
H
Takei
Masafumi
M
Kurosumi
Hironobu
H
Sasano
Nobuo
N
Yaegashi
Shin-ichi
S
Hayashi
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis
D004967:Estrogens; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone