Expression of MAGE-A11 in breast cancer tissues and its effects on the proliferation of breast cancer cells.
The melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE) genes are commonly expressed in tumors, but the function of many of these genes remains unknown. Here, we investigated the expression of one family member, MAGE-A11, in breast cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent normal tissues. MAGE-A11 expression was assessed in breast cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues from 100 women by immunohistochemistry. MAGE-A11 was significantly more highly expressed in breast tumors (56% of samples) compared to normal tissues (0%; P<0.05). Additionally, its expression in breast tumors was investigated in relation to various clinicopathological features, including patient age, tumor stage and volume, and lymph node metastasis. MAGE-A11 protein expression was correlated with expression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) and estrogen receptor (ER)-β (P<0.05), but not with age, pathological type, histological grade, clinical stage, tumor size or lymph node metastasis, or ER-α, progesterone receptor (PR) or amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB-1) expression. To determine how its expression affects cancer cell proliferation in vitro, MCF-7 human breast cancer cells were transfected with pCMV-AC-MAGE-A11-GFP. MTT colorimetry and colony-forming assays indicated that MAGE-A11 overexpression significantly increased breast cancer cell proliferation and the ability to form colonies (P<0.05). These findings indicate that MAGE-A11, similarly to HER-2 and ER-β, may be an important diagnostic or prognostic indicator in breast cancer and potentially promotes tumor proliferation.
Department of Nursing, Yancheng Health Vocational and Technical College, Yancheng, Jiangsu 224006, PR China. ywxialip@126.com
Li-Ping
LP
Xia
Min
M
Xu
Yan
Y
Chen
Wei-Wei
WW
Shao
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection; D047368:Tumor Burden
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C110882:MAGEA11 protein, human