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ABSTRACT: Introduction
A phosphorylation score for estrogen receptor-alpha (ER?), called P7 score, was shown previously to be an independent prognostic factor in breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen. Since mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation is implicated in resistance to endocrine therapy in breast cancer we determined whether mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activation, measured by phosphorylation on S2448 (p-mTOR), was associated with the P7-score and/or clinical outcome in the same cohort.Methods
mTOR phosphorylation status was determined at S2448 residue in vivo by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of more than 400 well-characterized ER? positive breast tumors. MCF7 cells were treated with estrogen and activation of mTOR pathway was determined by Western blotting.Results
Contrary to earlier reports, p-mTOR expression, measured by immunohistochemistry, was negatively associated with size and nodal status. Additionally, p-S2448 mTOR expression was positively correlated with p-S118- ER?, p-S167-ER? and p-S282-ER? but negatively correlated with p-T311- ER?. Consistent with these, p-S2448 mTOR was negatively associated with P7-score and was significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio (HR)?=?0.61, P?=?0.028, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39 to 0.95, n?=?337) and relapse-free survival (HR?=?0.58, P?=?0.0032, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.83, n?=?337) following univariate but not multivariate analysis. Furthermore, we show that estrogen can regulate phosphorylation of mTOR and its down stream target p70S6 kinase. Additionally, recombinant mTOR can phosphorylate ER? in vitro.Conclusions
These data suggest that in breast tumors where there is intact estrogen regulated signaling, mTOR is regulated by estrogen and therefore associated with an increased likelihood of responsiveness to endocrine therapy.
SUBMITTER: Shrivastav A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4076628 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Shrivastav Anuraag A Bruce Mary M Jaksic Danira D Bader Tarek T Seekallu Srinivas S Penner Carla C Nugent Zoann Z Watson Peter P Murphy Leigh L
Breast cancer research : BCR 20140522 3
<h4>Introduction</h4>A phosphorylation score for estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα), called P7 score, was shown previously to be an independent prognostic factor in breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen. Since mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation is implicated in resistance to endocrine therapy in breast cancer we determined whether mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activation, measured by phosphorylation on S2448 (p-mTOR), was associated with the P7-score and/or ...[more]