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Analysis of Vitamin D-receptor (VDR) and Retinoid X-receptor α in Breast Cancer

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Abstract

The expression of vitamin D-receptor (VDR) and retinoid X-receptor α (RXR-α) has been analysed immunohistochemically in benign (n = 62 and n = 5 respectively) and malignant (n = 228 and n = 15 respectively) breast tissue samples using a monoclonal antibody 9A7γ against VDR and a polyclonal antibody against RXR-α. A recently developed immunoreactive scoring method (IRS) was employed. The expression of VDR was detected at the RNA-level using the reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction. A statistically significant higher expression of VDR at the protein level was seen in breast cancer compared with benign breast tissue, whereas at the mRNA level no visible differences in the expression of VDR were found. A higher expression of RXR-α was seen in breast cancer compared with benign breast tissue. Our findings indicate that breast tissue may be a new target organ for therapeutically applied vitamin D and retinoid analogues. VDR and RXR-α are upregulated at the protein level in breast carcinomas as compared to normal breast tissue, indicating a possibly increased sensitivity to therapeutically applied vitamin D analogues. New vitamin D analogues exerting less calcemic side effects may be promising new drugs for the treatment or chemoprevention of breast carcinomas as well as of precancerous breast lesions. Combination therapies of vitamin D and retinoid analogues with fewer side effects seen promising for the treatment of breast cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital of Saarland, D-66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany

    Michael Friedrich, Roland Axt-Fliedner, Carlos Villena-Heinsen & Werner Schmidt

  2. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Saarland, D-66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany

    Wolfgang Tilgen & Jörg Reichrath

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  1. Michael Friedrich
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  2. Roland Axt-Fliedner
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  3. Carlos Villena-Heinsen
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  4. Wolfgang Tilgen
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  5. Werner Schmidt
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  6. Jörg Reichrath
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Friedrich, M., Axt-Fliedner, R., Villena-Heinsen, C. et al. Analysis of Vitamin D-receptor (VDR) and Retinoid X-receptor α in Breast Cancer. Histochem J 34, 35–40 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021343825552

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