Expression of a repressor of estrogen receptor activity in human breast tumors : Relationship to some known prognostic markers

The expression of a specific repressor of estrogen receptor activity (REA) was investigated by a semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR assay in 40 human breast tumor biopsy samples with respect to steroid hormone receptor status and other known prognostic variables. The data showed that REA expression was positively correlated with estrogen receptor (ER) levels as defined by ligand-binding assays (Spearman r = 03231; P = 0.042) and that the median level of REA mRNA was significantly (Mann-Whitney two-tailed test, P = 0.0424) higher in ER+ tumors (median = 94.5; n = 30) compared with ER- tumors (median = 645; n = 10), with no significant differences (P = 0.4988) associated with progesterone receptor status alone. In addition, REA expression was inversely correlated with tumor grade (Spearman r = -0.4375; P = 0.0054). When the tumors were divided into two groups based on grade, REA expression was significantly (Mann-Whitney two-tailed test, P = 0.0024) higher in low-grade (median = 97; n = 16) compared with high-grade (median = 76; n = 23) tumors. These results provide preliminary data suggesting that the expression of REA varies among breast tumors and is correlated with known treatment response markers and inversely correlated with a marker of breast cancer progression. REA together with ER status may be an improved marker of endocrine therapy responsiveness in human breast cancer.