Aromatase expression is increased in BRCA1 mutation carriers

AL Chand; H Thorne; ER Simpson; CD Clyne

Journal article

Aromatase expression is increased in BRCA1 mutation carriers

AL Chand, H Thorne, ER Simpson, CD Clyne

BMC Cancer | BMC | Published : 2009

DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-9-148

Open access

Abstract

Background: Until recently, the molecular mechanisms explaining increased incidence of ovarian and breast cancers in carriers of BRCA1 gene mutations had not been clearly understood. Of significance is the finding that BRCA1 negatively regulates aromatase expression in vitro. Our objective was to characterise aromatase gene (CYP19A1) and its promoter expression in breast adipose and ovarian tissue in BRCA1 mutation carriers and unaffected controls. Methods: We measured aromatase transcripts, total and promoter-specific (PII, PI.3, PI.4) in prophylactic oophorectomy or mastectomy, therapeutic mastectomy, ovarian and breast tissue from unaffected women. Results: We demonstrate that the lack of..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Heather Thorne Author

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Grants

Awarded by Seventh Framework Programme

Funding Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) (CDC, 338518). We wish to thank Prof. Peter Fuller for normal ovarian biopsy tissue from premenopausal women. Additionally we thank Heather Thorne, Eveline Niedermayr, all the kConFab research nurses and staff, the heads and staff of the Family Cancer Clinics, and the Clinical Follow Up Study (funded by NHMRC grants 145684, 288704 and 454508) for their contributions to this resource, and the many families who contribute to kConFab. kConFab is supported by grants from the National Breast Cancer Foundation, NHMRC and by the Queensland Cancer Fund, the Cancer Councils of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, and the Cancer Foundation of Western Australia. We are also grateful to Mr. A Kalus, Avenue Plastic Surgery, Melbourne and patients for normal breast tissue samples.