The role of tumor hypoxia in MUC1-positive breast carcinomas

Virchows Arch. 2011 Oct;459(4):367-75. doi: 10.1007/s00428-011-1142-6. Epub 2011 Sep 3.

Abstract

Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a glycoprotein that is expressed on apical cell membranes in a variety of normal tissues. MUC1 is involved in cell signaling, inhibition of cell-cell and cell matrix adhesion, apoptosis, proliferation, and transcription. Hypoxia is an important factor that promotes cancer metastasis and stimulates angiogenesis and tumor progression. Hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1α) and carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) are two molecules that are involved in this process. The role of hypoxia in MUC1+ invasive ductal breast carcinomas is not well established. In this study, the expression of MUC1 was correlated with the hypoxia-associated markers HIF-1α and CAIX, as well as several immunohistochemical markers and clinicopathologic features of prognostic significance in 243 invasive ductal carcinomas. MUC1 was overexpressed in 37.0% of patients and correlated with the expression of estrogen receptor (p = 0.0001), progesterone receptor (p = 0.0001), HIF-1α (p = 0.006), VEGF (p = 0.024), and p53 (p = 0.025). In breast cancer, MUC1 expression has been associated with increased degradation of inhibitor of NF-κB (IκBα), driving NF-κB to the nucleus and blocking apoptosis and promoting cell survival. We analyzed NF-κB expression in MUC1+ breast carcinoma and found a very significant relationship between these proteins (p = 0.0001). Our findings indicate that MUC1 may play a role in the regulation of hormone receptors by increasing the inactivation of p53 and targeting NF-κB to the nucleus. Our data also support the notion that activation of HIF-1α in MUC1+ breast carcinomas may modulate VEGF expression, allowing a metabolic adaptation to hypoxia.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / mortality
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / metabolism*
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / pathology
  • Cell Hypoxia
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / metabolism
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • In Situ Nick-End Labeling
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Middle Aged
  • Mucin-1 / metabolism*
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Receptors, Estrogen / metabolism
  • Receptors, Progesterone / metabolism
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tissue Array Analysis
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • HIF1A protein, human
  • Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
  • MUC1 protein, human
  • Mucin-1
  • NF-kappa B
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Receptors, Progesterone
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • VEGFA protein, human
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A