NF-kappaB activation in inflammatory breast cancer is associated with oestrogen receptor downregulation, secondary to EGFR and/or ErbB2 overexpression and MAPK hyperactivation.

ABSTRACT: Activation of NF-kappaB in inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is associated with loss of estrogen receptor (ER) expression, indicating a potential crosstalk between NF-kappaB and ER. In this study, we examined the activation of NF-kappaB in IBC and non-IBC with respect to ER and EGFR and/or ErbB2 expression and MAPK hyperactivation. A qRT-PCR based ER signature was evaluated in tumours with and without transcriptionally active NF-kappaB, as well as correlated with the expression of eight NF-kappaB target genes. Using a combined ER/NF-kappaB signature, hierarchical clustering was executed. Hyperactivation of MAPK was investigated using a recently described MAPK signature (Creighton et al, 2006), and was linked to tumour phenotype, ER and EGFR and/or ErbB2 overexpression. The expression of mos

SUBMITTER: Van Laere SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2360371 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature