title: Protein expression of the Ets transcription factor Elf-1 in breast cancer cells is negatively correlated with histological grading, but not with clinical outcome.
abstract: Several members of the Ets (E26 transformation specific) transcription factor family are involved in tumor progression, e.g. by activating matrix metalloproteases. Ets proteins share a unique DNA-binding domain, the Ets domain, which specifically recognizes GGAA/T-containing sequences common in many promoters. While the roles of quite a number of Ets proteins in carcinogenesis have been well established, little is known about the importance of the Ets protein Elf-1 (E74-like factor 1) in cancer. Herein, we analyzed the expression of Elf-1 in breast cancer. We found that, like T-cells, breast cancer cells express both the 80 and 98 kDa isoforms of the Elf-1 protein with the 98 kDa isoform only be present in the nucleus. Immunohistochemical analysis of 119 breast cancer biopsies showed anti-Elf-1 immunoreactivity exclusively in the nucleus. Elf-1 expression varied largely among the breast cancer samples showing a negative correlation with histological grading. However, no association of Elf-1 expression with clinical outcome was observed, even when sub-cohorts of patients who received either only adjuvant endocrine treatment or only chemotherapy were separately analyzed. These data suggest that Elf-1 may modulate breast cancer progression to some extent without having an impact on survival of breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Gynäkologie, Universität Halle, Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gerloff
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dittmer
authors.forename: Ilka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Oerlecke
authors.forename: Hans-Jürgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Holzhausen
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dittmer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: C512897:ELF1 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors