Early Detection and Diagnosis

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Lipophilin B: A gene preferentially expressed in breast tissue and upregulated in breast cancer

  1. Jane Culleton1,2,3,
  2. Neil O'Brien1,2,3,
  3. Bríd M. Ryan1,2,3,
  4. Arnold D.K. Hill2,3,
  5. Enda McDermott2,3,
  6. Niall O'Higgins2,3,
  7. Michael J. Duffy1,2,3,†,*

Article first published online: 12 DEC 2006

DOI: 10.1002/ijc.22471

Issue

International Journal of Cancer

International Journal of Cancer

Volume 120, Issue 5, pages 1087–1092, 1 March 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

Culleton, J., O'Brien, N., Ryan, B. M., Hill, A. D.K., McDermott, E., O'Higgins, N. and Duffy, M. J. (2007), Lipophilin B: A gene preferentially expressed in breast tissue and upregulated in breast cancer. Int. J. Cancer, 120: 1087–1092. doi: 10.1002/ijc.22471

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

  2. 2

    UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science, Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

  3. 3

    Dublin Institute of Molecular Medicine, Dublin, Ireland

  1. †

    Fax: +353-1-2696018.

*Nuclear Medicine Laboratory, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin 4, Ireland

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 19 JAN 2007
  2. Article first published online: 12 DEC 2006
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 5 OCT 2006
  4. Manuscript Received: 16 MAY 2006

Funded by

  • Irish Research Council for Science Engineering and Technology
  • Irish Cancer Society
  • Health Research Board of Ireland
  • Programme Grant, Breast Cancer Metastasis: Biomarkers and Functional Mediators

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Keywords:

  • breast cancer;
  • lipophilin B;
  • mammaglobin A;
  • tumor marker;
  • breast-specific

Abstract

Lipophilin B (LPB), which is also known as BU101, is a secretoglobin which exists in vivo as a complex with the mammary-specific protein, mammaglobin A (MGA). The aim of our study was to investigate the expression of LPB in a panel of breast and nonbreast tissues and compare its expression with that of MGA. Using RT-PCR, LPB mRNA was detected in 16/25 (64%) of normal breast specimens, 23/30 (77%) of fibroadenomas, 102/156 (65%) of primary breast cancers and in 8/36 (22%) nonbreast tissues. Levels of expression of LPB mRNA were significantly higher in breast cancers compared to both normal breast tissues (p = 0.02) and nonbreast tissue (p < 0.001). In the primary breast cancers, expression of LPB mRNA was positively correlated with the estrogen receptor (p = 0.045) but inversely related to both tumor grade (p < 0.001) and proliferation rates (p = 0.0345). Compared to MGA, expression of LPB was more sensitive but less specific for breast cancer. Using Western blotting, LPB migrated with an approximate molecular mass of 7–8 kDa, the expected molecular mass of free LPB. Immunohistochemical analysis of breast cancers showed that LPB expression was predominantly confined to the cytoplasm of tumor cells. We conclude that expression of LPB is preferentially but not exclusively restricted to breast tissue. Since LPB was expressed relatively specifically in breast tissue and was significantly upregulated in breast carcinomas, it is a promising candidate biomarker for breast cancer. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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