Regulation of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor 2 by hypoxia in breast cancer.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To examine the in vitro regulation of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 2 (HAI-2) in breast cancer cells and the in vivo predictive role for the efficacy of chemoendocrine primary therapy in patients with breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

HAI-2 regulation was studied in a panel of breast cancer cell lines comparing normoxia to hypoxia. The effect of HIF-1alpha RNAi on HAI-2 expression was evaluated in these cells. HAI-2 was examined in breast cancer using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. The HAI-2 predictive role was assessed in T(2-4) N(0-1) breast cancers (n = 177) enrolled in a neoadjuvant randomized trial comparing epirubicin versus epirubicin + tamoxifen.

RESULTS:

HAI-2 mRNA and protein were regulated by hypoxia in the c-erbB2-positive cell lines, SKBR3 and BT474, and controlled by HIF-1alpha in these cells. Immunohistochemistry confirmed this profile with high expression of HAI-2 in c-erbB2-positive breast cancer. HAI-2 was correlated with T status (P < 0.004), node involvement (P = 0.01), and c-erbB2 expression (P = 0.05). HAI-2 also correlated with hypoxia markers such as carbonic anhydrase IX expression (P = 0.01) and HIF-1alpha. Additionally, high levels of HAI-2 were a significant predictor for poor clinical complete response to preoperative epirubicin in univariate (P = 0.01) and multivariate analyses (P = 0.016). No correlation with disease-free survival and survival was observed.

CONCLUSION:

HAI-2 expression in breast cancer correlated with tumor aggressiveness in vivo. It is a HIF target in c-erbB2-positive cells and it is an independent negative predictive factor of efficacy of anthracycline therapy. The interaction of HAI-2 with the hepatocyte growth factor activation pathway may be a useful site for therapeutic intervention.

• Authors: Daniele Generali, Stephen B Fox, Alfredo Berruti, John W Moore, Maria Pia Brizzi, Nilay Patel, Giovanni Allevi, Simone Bonardi, Sergio Aguggini, Alessandra Bersiga, Leticia Campo, Luigi Dogliotti, Alberto Bottini, Adrian L Harris
• Journal: Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (Clin Cancer Res) Vol. 13 Issue 2 Pt 1 Pg. 550-8 (Jan 15 2007) ISSN: 1078-0432 [Print] United States
• PMID: 17255277 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antigens, Neoplasm
• Membrane Glycoproteins
• SPINT2 protein, human
• Receptor, ErbB-2
• CA9 protein, human
• Carbonic Anhydrase IX
• Carbonic Anhydrases

Topics

• Antigens, Neoplasm (biosynthesis)
• Breast Neoplasms (enzymology, pathology)
• Carbonic Anhydrase IX
• Carbonic Anhydrases (biosynthesis)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Disease-Free Survival
• Female
• Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
• Humans
• Hypoxia
• Immunohistochemistry
• In Situ Hybridization
• Membrane Glycoproteins (metabolism)
• RNA Interference
• Receptor, ErbB-2 (biosynthesis)
• Up-Regulation