Breast Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Breast Cancer, including details on symptoms, genetics, screening, treatment, information.

Expression of HER2 and estrogen receptor alpha depends upon nuclear localization of Y-box binding protein-1 in human breast cancers.

Fujii T, Kawahara A, Basaki Y, Hattori S, Nakashima K, Nakano K, Shirouzu K, Kohno K, Yanagawa T, Yamana H, Nishio K, Ono M, Kuwano M, Kage M

Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy of the 21st Century Center of Excellence Program for Medical Science, Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.

In our present study, we examined whether nuclear localization of Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1) is associated with the expression of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR), hormone receptors, and other molecules affecting breast cancer prognosis. The expression of nuclear YB-1, clinicopathologic findings, and molecular markers [EGFR, HER2, estrogen receptor (ER)alpha, ER beta, progesterone receptor, chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4), phosphorylated Akt, and major vault protein/lung resistance protein] were immunohistochemically analyzed. The association of the expression of nuclear YB-1 and the molecular markers was examined in breast cancer cell lines using microarrays, quantitative real-time PCR, and Western blot analyses. Knockdown of YB-1 with siRNA significantly reduced EGFR, HER2, and ER alpha expression in ER alpha-positive, but not ER alpha-negative, breast cancer cell lines. Nuclear YB-1 expression was positively correlated with HER2 (P = 0.0153) and negatively correlated with ER alpha (P = 0.0122) and CXCR4 (P = 0.0166) in human breast cancer clinical specimens but was not correlated with EGFR expression. Nuclear YB-1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall (P = 0.0139) and progression-free (P = 0.0280) survival. In conclusion, nuclear YB-1 expression might be essential for the acquisition of malignant characteristics via HER2-Akt-dependent pathways in breast cancer patients. The nuclear localization of YB-1 could be an important therapeutic target against not only multidrug resistance but also tumor growth dependent on HER2 and ER alpha.

Published 4 March 2008 in Cancer Res, 68(5): 1504-12.
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