Transcription profiling of human age-dichotomized ER+, N0 breast tumors reveals enhanced NF kappa B and AP-1 activity associated with antiestrogen resistant breast caner

Signaling pathways that converge on two different transcription factor complexes, NFκB and AP-1, have been identified in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers resistant to the antiestrogen, tamoxifen. In this study, biomarkers co-ordinately up-regulated by NFKB and AP-1 with prognositic significance are identified in a largely TAM-treated set of ER+ node negative breast cancers. The prognostic value with respect to age is also investigated. Experiment Overall Design: 54 ER+ node negative breast tumors with known clinical outcome were analyzed. Genes co-ordinately regulated by NFKB and AP1from literature are identified from a significant gene set obtained through a minimum variation filter. Biomarker expression is used to dichotomize samples into high vs. low expressors to determine prognostic value