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Departments of
1
Chemical Endocrinology,
2 Medical Oncology, and
3 Endocrinology, University Medical Center Nijmegen, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
aAddress correspondence to this author at: 530 Department of Chemical Endocrinology, University Medical Center Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Fax 31-24-3541484; e-mail p.span{at}ace.umcn.nl.
Background: The ß-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is encoded by four genes, of which expression of the hCGß-3, -5, and -8 genes could have prognostic value in breast cancer.
Methods: Applying a new, modified Molecular Beacon reverse transcription-PCR assay, we investigated the prognostic value of the hCGß-3, -5, and -8 gene transcripts in 129 sporadic unilateral breast cancer samples from patients with a median follow-up of 62.3 months.
Results: Expression of hCGß-3, -5, -8 was significantly (P = 0.020) associated with relapse-free survival (RFS). In multivariate survival analysis, hCGß-3, -5, and -8 maintained prognostic value for RFS, with high expression predicting shorter RFS (P = 0.015; hazard ratio, 2.25; 95% confidence interval, 1.174.34). Only 1 of 24 (4%) node-negative patients with low hCGß-3, -5, -8 expression relapsed, in contrast to 7 of 26 (27%) patients with high expression (P = 0.046).
Conclusions: Expression of hCGß-3, -5, -8, which differ by only one nucleotide from other hCGß genes, can be assessed by our modified Molecular Beacon assay in breast cancer tissues. Expression of hCGß-3, -5, -8 has independent, prognostic value for RFS in breast cancer and may help identify node-negative patients with poor prognosis.
The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:
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D. Lopez, M. Sekharam, D. Coppola, and W. B. Carter Purified human chorionic gonadotropin induces apoptosis in breast cancer Mol. Cancer Ther., September 1, 2008; 7(9): 2837 - 2844. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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K. Rull and M. Laan Expression of {beta}-subunit of HCG genes during normal and failed pregnancy Hum. Reprod., December 1, 2005; 20(12): 3360 - 3368. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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K. A. B. Knostman, J.-Y. Cho, K.-Y. Ryu, X. Lin, J. A. McCubrey, T. Hla, C. H. Liu, E. Di Carlo, R. Keri, M. Zhang, et al. Signaling through 3',5'-Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate and Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Induces Sodium/Iodide Symporter Expression in Breast Cancer J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., October 1, 2004; 89(10): 5196 - 5203. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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