Reduced expression of oestrogen receptor β in invasive breast cancer and its re‐expression using DNA methyl transferase inhibitors in a cell line model

Abstract

To gain insights into the possible role of oestrogen receptor (ER) β in breast carcinogenesis, immunohistochemical analysis of ER β was performed on 512 breast specimens encompassing normal ( n = 138), pure ductal carcinoma in situ ( n = 16), invasive cancers ( n = 319), lymph node metastases ( n = 31), and recurrences ( n = 8). Real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to investigate the methylation status of the ER β gene in the ER β negative breast cancer cell lines SkBr3 and MDA‐MB‐435. A gradual reduction in, but not a complete loss of, ER β expression was observed during the transition from normal and pre‐invasive lesions to invasive cancers, where ER β was lost in 21% of cases. This was more pronounced in invasive ductal than in lobular carcinomas, a significantly higher proportion of which were ER β‐positive (74% compared with 91%, respectively, p = 0.0004). Examination of paired primary cancers with their axillary lymph node metastases showed that if ER β was present in the primary tumour, it persisted in the metastasis. Treatment of ER β‐negative cell lines with DNA methyl transferase inhibitors restored ER β expression, providing experimental evidence that silencing of ER β in breast carcinomas could be due to promoter hypermethylation. These results suggest that loss of ER β expression is one of the hallmarks of breast carcinogenesis and that it may be a reversible process involving methylation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.