Recent analyses have identified heterogeneity in
estrogen receptor α (ERα)-positive
breast cancer. Subtypes called
luminal A and
luminal B have been identified, and the
tumor characteristics, such as response to endocrine
therapy and prognosis, are different in these subtypes. However, little is known about how the biological characteristics of ER-positive
breast cancer are determined. In this study, expression profiles of
microRNAs (
miRNAs) and mRNAs in ER-positive
breast cancer tissue were compared between ER(high) Ki67(low)
tumors and ER(low) Ki67(high)
tumors by
miRNA and
mRNA microarrays. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analyses revealed distinct expression patterns of
miRNAs and mRNAs in these groups. We identified a downregulation of miR-1290 in ER(high) Ki67(low)
tumors. Among 11
miRNAs that were upregulated in ER(high) Ki67(low)
tumors, quantitative RT-PCR detection analysis using 64 samples of frozen
breast cancer tissue identified six
miRNAs (let-7a, miR-15a, miR-26a, miR-34a, miR-193b, and miR-342-3p). We picked up 11 genes that were potential target genes of the selected
miRNAs and that were differentially expressed in ER(high) Ki67(low)
tumors and ER(low) Ki67(high)
tumors.
Protein expression patterns of the selected target genes were analyzed in 256 ER-positive
breast cancer samples by immunohistochemistry: miR-1290 and its putative targets, BCL2, FOXA1, MAPT, and NAT1, were identified. Transfection experiments revealed that introduction of miR-1290 into ER-positive
breast cancer cells decreased expression of NAT1 and FOXA1. Our results suggest that miR-1290 and its potential targets might be associated with characteristics of ER-positive
breast cancer.