Interaction Between Estrogens and Androgen Receptor Genes Microsatellites, Prostate-Specific Antigen, and Androgen Receptor Expressions in Breast Cancer

In a 2010 study involving 163 breast cancer cases, researchers found that prostate-specific antigen (PSA) expression in breast cancer was correlated with shorter CA repeats in the ERβ gene, suggesting higher ERβ transactivation, while androgen receptor (AR) expression was associated with a higher number of CAG repeats on the AR gene, indicating a potentially less active receptor. The study also revealed that PSA expression, absence of nodal metastasis, and longer TA repeats in the ERα gene were associated with increased disease-free survival. No significant correlations were found between the number of repeats and other prognostic factors such as metastasis, ER expression, or PR expression. The findings suggest that ERβ-selective ligands could be beneficial in targeting proliferating cells expressing ERβ, and that PSA expression and nodal status are significant factors in predicting disease-free survival in breast cancer. The research was supported by a CNCSIS grant from the Romanian Ministry of Research.