MicroRNA signatures predict Estrogen receptor, Progesterone receptor and HER2/neu receptor status in Breast Cancer

ABSTRACT: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease encompassing a number of phenotypically diverse tumours. Expression levels of the estrogen, progesterone and HER2/neu receptors which characterise clinically distinct breast tumors have been shown to change during disease progression and in response to systemic therapies. Mi(cro)RNAs play critical roles in diverse biological processes and are aberrantly expressed in several human neoplasms including breast cancer, where they function as regulators of tumour behaviour and progression. The aims of this study were to identify miRNA signatures that accurately predict the oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2/neu receptor status of breast cancer patients to provide insight into the regulation of breast cancer phenotypes and progression. Expression profiling of 353 microRNAs was performed in 29 early stage breast cancer specimens. MiRNA signatures associated with ER, PR and HER2/neu status were generated using artificial neural networks (ANN) and expression of specific microRNAs was validated using RQ-PCR. Results: Stepwise artificial neural network (ANN) analysis identified predictive miRNA signatures corresponding with estrogen (miR-342, miR-299, miR-217, miR -190, miR-135b, miR-218), progesterone (miR-520g, miR-377, miR-527-518a, miR-520f-520c) and HER2/neu (miR-520d, miR-181c, miR-302c, miR-376b, miR-30e) receptor status. MiR-342 and miR-520g expression was further analysed in 95 breast tumours. MiR-342 expression was highest in ER and HER2/neu positive luminal B tumours and lowest in triple-negative tumours. MiR-520g expression was elevated in ER and PR negative tumours.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

SUBMITTER: Aoife Lowery 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-15885 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress