A role for BRCA1 in sporadic breast cancer.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Fraser JA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2747570 | biostudies-other | 2003 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:IntroductionBRCA1 or BRCA2 germline mutations increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Tumour cells from germline mutation carriers have frequently lost the wild-type allele. This is predicted to result in genomic instability where cell survival depends upon dysfunctional checkpoint mechanisms. Tumorigenic potential could then be acquired through further genomic alterations. Surprisingly, somatic BRCA mutations are not found in sporadic breast tumours. BRCA1 methylation has been shown to occur in sporadic breast tumours and to be associated with reduced gene expression. We examined the frequency of BRCA1 methylation in 143 primary sporadic breast tumours along with BRCA1 copy number alterations and tumour phenotype.MethodsPrimary sporadic breast tumours were analysed for BRCA1alpha promoter methylation by methylation specific PCR and for allelic imbalance (AI) at BRCA1 and BRCA2 loci by microsatellite analysis and TP53 (also known as p53) mutations by constant denaturing gel electrophoresis. The BRCA1 methylated tumours were analysed for BRCA1 copy alterations by fluorescence in situ hybridisation and BRCA1 expression by immunostaining.ResultsBRCA1 methylation was found in 13/143 (9.1%) sporadic breast tumours. The BRCA1 methylated tumours were significantly associated with estrogen receptor (ER) negativity (P = 0.0475) and displayed a trend for BRCA1 AI (P = 0.0731) as well as young-age at diagnosis (< or = 55; P = 0.0898). BRCA1 methylation was not associated with BRCA2 AI (P = 0.5420), although a significant association was found between BRCA1 AI and BRCA2 AI (P < 0.0001).Absent/markedly reduced BRCA1 expression was observed in 9/13 BRCA1 methylated tumours, most of which had BRCA1 deletion. An elevated TP53 mutation frequency was found among BRCA1 methylated tumours (38.5%) compared with non-methylated tumours (17.2%). The BRCA1 methylated tumours were mainly of tumour grade 3 (7/13) and infiltrating ductal type (12/13). Only one methylated tumour was of grade 1.ConclusionBRCA1 methylation is frequent in primary sporadic breast tumours. We found an indication for BRCA1 methylation to be associated with AI at the BRCA1 locus. Almost all BRCA1 methylated tumours with absent/markedly reduced BRCA1 expression (8/9) displayed BRCA1 deletion. Thus, epigenetic silencing and deletion of the BRCA1 gene might serve as Knudson's two 'hits' in sporadic breast tumorigenesis. We observed phenotypic similarities between BRCA1 methylated and familial BRCA1 tumours, based on BRCA1 deletion, TP53 mutations, ER status, young age at diagnosis and tumour grade.
| S-EPMC1779478 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPromoter methylation is a common epigenetic mechanism to silence tumor suppressor genes during breast cancer development. We investigated whether BRCA1-associated breast tumors show cancer-predictive methylation patterns similar to those found in sporadic tumors.Patients and methodsQuantitative multiplex methylation-specific PCR of 11 genes involved in breast carcinogenesis (RARB, RASSF1, TWIST1, CCND2, ESR1, SCGB3A1, BRCA1, BRCA2, CDKN2A, APC, CDH1) was carried out on 32 BRCA1-associated and 46 sporadic breast carcinomas and on normal breast tissue from seven BRCA1 mutation carriers and 13 non-carriers.ResultsThe extent of cumulative methylation increased with age (P < 0.001). The median cumulative methylation index (CMI) of all studied genes was significantly higher in tumors (89) than in normal tissue (13, P < 0.001). The median CMI was significantly lower in BRCA1-associated (59) than in sporadic breast tumors (122, P = 0.001), in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumors (73) than in ER-positive tumors (122, P = 0.005) and in lymph node-negative (77) compared with lymph node-positive tumors (137, P = 0.007). In subgroup analysis, the effect of a BRCA1 germline mutation on methylation proved to be independent of ER status, lymph node status and age.ConclusionsThese data indicate that BRCA1-associated breast cancers show less promoter methylation compared with sporadic breast carcinomas indicating a difference in disease etiology.
| S-EPMC2733079 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe role of somatic BRCA1/2 gene mutations in breast cancer is getting increasing attention in view of hereditary disease. The medullary phenotype and triple negative intrinsic subtypes are often, but not exclusively encountered in BRCA1 germline mutated breast cancer, whilst for BRCA2, no association to specific histological features are known. In this study, we addressed the relationship between morphological medullary phenotype and BRCA1/2 somatic mutations in breast cancer without known positive family anamnesis.Methods32 clinically sporadic breast cancers with medullary features were analyzed for somatic BRCA1/2 mutations (all coding exons) with next-generation sequencing technology. Paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed breast cancer samples from all patients were analyzed.ResultsThree of 32 tumors (9%) had pathogenic (ARUP class-5) BRCA1 gene alterations. Two of these pathogenic variants exhibited deletions leading to frameshift mutations (p.Glu23fs, p.Val1234fs), and the remaining single-nucleotid-variant resulted in premature STOP codon (p.Glu60Ter). In one patient, the same pathogenic BRCA1 mutation was detected (p.Glu23fs) in normal breast tissue. Retrospective follow-up in two patients revealed a positive family history for breast cancer and consecutive germline mutation testing confirmed presence of BRCA1 mutations. No somatic pathogenic BRCA2 mutations were detected.ConclusionsBRCA1 mutation testing may be useful in clinically sporadic breast cancer patients with medullary features to identify potential mutation carriers independently from intrinsic molecular subtype. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded cancer tissue can undergo testing within a routine molecular-diagnostic setting as a clinical BRCA1/2 mutation screening strategy.
| S-EPMC5916977 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:A large number of distinct mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have been reported worldwide, but little is known regarding the role of these inherited susceptibility genes in breast cancer risk among Kazakhstan women. Aim:To evaluate the role of BRCA1/2 mutations in Kazakhstan women presenting with sporadic breast cancer. Methods:We investigated the distribution and nature of polymorphisms in BRCA1 and BRCA2 entire coding regions in 156 Kazakhstan sporadic breast cancer cases and 112 age-matched controls using automatic direct sequencing. Results:We identified 22 distinct variants, including 16 missense mutations and 6 polymorphisms in BRCA1/2 genes. In BRCA1, 9 missense mutations and 3 synonymous polymorphisms were observed. In BRCA2, 7 missense mutations and 3 polymorphisms were detected. There was a higher prevalence of observed mutations in Caucasian breast cancer cases compared to Asian cases (p<0.05); higher frequencies of sequence variants were observed in Asian controls. No recurrent or founder mutations were observed in BRCA1/2 genes. There were no statistically significant differences in age at diagnosis, tumor histology, size of tumor, and lymph node involvement between women with breast cancer with or without the BRCA sequence alterations. Conclusions:Considering the majority of breast cancer cases are sporadic, the present study will be helpful in the evaluation of the need for the genetic screening of BRCA1/2 mutations and reliable genetic counseling for Kazakhstan sporadic breast cancer patients. Evaluation of common polymorphisms and mutations and breast cancer risk in families with genetic predisposition to breast cancer is ongoing in another current investigation.
| S-EPMC5927761 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Analysis of a subset of case-control sporadic breast cancer data, [from the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Genetic Markers of Susceptibility (CGEMS) initiative], focusing on 18 breast cancer-related genes with 304 SNPs, indicates that there are many interesting interactions that form two- and three-way networks in which BRCA1 plays a dominant and central role. The apparent interactions of BRCA1 with many other genes suggests the conjecture that BRCA1 serves as a protective gene and that some mutations in it or in related genes may prevent it from carrying out this protective function even if the patients are not carriers of known cancer-predisposing BRCA1 mutations. The method of analysis features the evaluation of the effect of a gene by averaging the effects of the SNPs covered by that gene. Marginal methods that test one gene at a time fail to show any effect. That may be related to the fact that each of these 18 genes adds very little to the risk of cancer. Analysis that relates the ratio of interactions to the maximum of the first-order effects discovers significant gene pairs and triplets.
| S-EPMC2517604 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Breast cancer rates and median age of onset differ between Western Europe and North Africa. In Western populations, 5 to 10 % of breast cancer cases can be attributed to major genetic factors such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, while this attribution is not yet well defined among Africans. To help determine the contribution of BRCA1 mutations to breast cancer in a North African population, we analysed genomic DNA from breast cancer cases ascertained in Algiers. Both familial cases (at least three breast cancers in the same familial branch, or two with one bilateral or diagnosed before age 40) and sporadic cases less than 38 years of age were studied. Complete sequencing plus quantitative analysis of the BRCA1 gene was performed. 9.8 % (5/51) of early-onset sporadic and 36.4 % (4/11) of familial cases were found to be associated with BRCA1 mutations. This is in contrast 10.3 % of French HBOC families exhibiting a BRCA1 mutation. One mutation, c.798_799delTT, was observed in two Algerian families and in two families from Tunisia, suggesting a North African founder allele. Algerian non-BRCA1 tumors were of significantly higher grade than French non-BRCA tumors, and the age at diagnosis for Algerian familial cases was much younger than that for French non-BRCA familial cases. In conclusion, we observed a much higher frequency of BRCA1 mutations among young breast cancer patients than observed in Europe, suggesting biological differences and that the inclusion criterea for analysis in Western Europe may not be applicable for the Northern African population.
| S-EPMC2452980 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionSeveral lines of evidence point to an important role for BP1, an isoform of DLX4 homeobox gene, in breast carcinogenesis and progression. BRCA1 is a well-known player in the etiology of breast cancer. While familial breast cancer is often marked by BRCA1 mutation and subsequent loss of heterozygosity, sporadic breast cancers exhibit reduced expression of wild type BRCA1, and loss of BRCA1 expression may result in tumor development and progression.MethodsThe Cister algorithm and Genomatix program were used to identify potential BP1 binding sites in BRCA1 gene. Real-time PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis were performed to verify the expression of BRCA1 and BP1 in cell lines and breast cancer tissues. Double-stranded siRNA transfection was carried out for silencing BP1 expression. ChIP and EMSA were used to confirm that BP1 specifically binds to BRCA1.ResultsA putative BP1 binding site was identified in the first intron of BRCA1, which was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipiation and electrophoresis mobility shift assay. BP1 and BRCA1 expression were inversely correlated in breast cancer cell lines and tissues, suggesting that BP1 may suppress BRCA1 transcription through consensus sequence binding.ConclusionsBP1 homeoprotein represses BRCA1 expression through direct binding to its first intron, which is consistent with a previous study which identified a novel transcriptional repressor element located more than 500 base pairs into the first intron of BRCA1, suggesting that the first intron plays an important role in the negative regulation of BRCA1. Although further functional studies are necessary to confirm its repressor activity towards BRCA1, the elucidation of the role of BP1 in breast tumorigenesis holds great promise in establishing BP1 as a novel target for drug therapy.
| S-EPMC2945279 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We describe the case of a woman carrying a germline pathogenic BRCA1 mutation diagnosed with a breast cancer overexpressing HER2. Clinical presentation of the tumor, HER2-positivity, genomic profile and loss of the mutated BRCA1 allele in tumor evidence that BRCA1 is not inactivated in this breast cancer. It represents the first biological demonstration for the existence of a sporadic HER2-positive breast cancer independent from BRCA loss of function in a woman carrier of a deleterious BRCA1 mutation. In a context where targeted therapies based on BRCA loss of function in the tumor are developed, such case could have direct implications.
| S-EPMC4742129 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionTruncation mutations in the BRCA1 gene cause a substantial increase in risk of breast cancer. However, these mutations are rare in the general population and account for little of the overall incidence of sporadic breast cancer.MethodWe used whole-gene resequencing data to select haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms, and examined the association between common haplotypes of BRCA1 and breast cancer in a nested case-control study in the Nurses' Health Study (1323 cases and 1910 controls).ResultsOne haplotype was associated with a slight increase in risk (odds ratio 1.18, 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.37). A significant interaction (P = 0.05) was seen between this haplotype, positive family history of breast cancer, and breast cancer risk. Although not statistically significant, similar interactions were observed with age at diagnosis and with menopausal status at diagnosis; risk tended to be higher among younger, pre-menopausal women.ConclusionsWe have described a haplotype in the BRCA1 gene that was associated with an approximately 20% increase in risk of sporadic breast cancer in the general population. However, the functional variant(s) responsible for the association are unclear.
| S-EPMC1064127 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Inter-individual variation in DNA repair capacity is thought to modulate breast cancer risk. The phenotypic mutagen sensitivity assay (MSA) measures DNA strand breaks in lymphocytes; women with familial and sporadic breast cancers have a higher mean number of breaks per cell (MBPC) than women without breast cancer. Here, we explore the relationships between the MSA and the Rad51 gene, which encodes a DNA repair enzyme that interacts with BRCA1 and BRCA2, in BRCA1 mutation carriers and women with sporadic breast cancer.Peripheral blood lymphoblasts from women with known BRCA1 mutations underwent the MSA (n = 138 among 20 families). BRCA1 and Rad51 genotyping and sequencing were performed to identify SNPs and haplotypes associated with the MSA. Positive associations from the study in high-risk families were subsequently examined in a population-based case-control study of breast cancer (n = 1170 cases and 2115 controls).Breast cancer diagnosis was significantly associated with the MSA among women from BRCA1 families (OR = 3.2 95%CI: 1.5-6.7; p = 0.004). The Rad51 5'UTR 135 C>G genotype (OR = 3.64; 95% CI: 1.38, 9.54; p = 0.02), one BRCA1 haplotype (p = 0.03) and in a polygenic model, the E1038G and Q356R BRCA1 SNPs were significantly associated with MBPC (p = 0.009 and 0.002, respectively). The Rad51 5'UTR 135C genotype was not associated with breast cancer risk in the population-based study.Mutagen sensitivity might be a useful biomarker of penetrance among women with BRCA1 mutations because the MSA phenotype is partially explained by genetic variants in BRCA1 and Rad51.
| S-EPMC3146938 | biostudies-literature