Epigenetic aspects of triple-negative in patients with breast cancer.

Abstract

1041 Background: Identification of gene expression-based breast cancer subtypes is considered a critical means of prognostication. Genetic mutations along with epigenetic alterations contribute to gene-expression changes occurring in breast cancer. However, the reproducibility of differential DNA methylation discoveries for cancer and the relationship between DNA methylation and aberrant gene expression have not been systematically analysed. The present study was undertaken to dissect the breast cancer methylome and to deliver specific epigenotypes associated with particular breast cancer subtypes. Methods: By using Real Time QMSPCR SYBR green we analyzed DNA methylation in regulatory regions of 107 pts with breast cancer and analyzed association with prognostics factor in triple negative breast cancer and methylation promoter ESR1, APC, E-Cadherin, Rar B and 14-3-3 sigma. Results: We identified novel subtype-specific epigenotypes that clearly demonstrate the differences in the methylation profiles of basal-like and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-overexpressing tumors. Of the cases, 37pts (40%) were Luminal A (LA), 32pts (33%) Luminal B (LB), 14pts (15%) Triple-negative (TN), and 9pts (10%) HER2+. DNA hypermethylation was highly inversely correlated with the down-regulation of gene expression. Methylation of this panel of promoter was found more frequently in triple negative and HER2 phenotype. ESR1 was preferably associated with TN(80%) and HER2+(60%) subtype. With a median follow up of 6 years, we found worse overall survival (OS) with more frequent ESR1 methylation gene(p>0.05), Luminal A;ESR1 Methylation OS at 5 years 81% vs 93% when was ESR1 Unmethylation. Luminal B;ESR1 Methylation 86% SG at 5 years vs 92% in Unmethylation ESR1. Triple negative;ESR1 Methylation SG at 5 years 75% vs 80% in unmethylation ESR1. HER2;ESR1 Methylation SG at 5 years was 66.7% vs 75% in unmethylation ESR1. Conclusions: Our results provide evidence that well-defined DNA methylation profiles enable breast cancer subtype prediction and support the utilization of this biomarker for prognostication and therapeutic stratification of patients with breast cancer.