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Updated: Oct 1, 2026
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Published on: May 27, 2016
Expression of the breast cancer resistance protein in breast cancer
Ian F Faneyte1, Petra M P Kristel, Marc Maliepaard
1Department of Experimental Therapy, The Netherlands Cancer Institute/Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Purpose:
The breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) is involved in in vitro multidrug resistance and was first identified in the breast cancer cell line MCF7/AdrVp. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of BCRP in resistance of breast cancer to anthracycline treatment.
Experimental Design:
BCRP mRNA was determined with real-time reverse transcription-PCR and immunostaining in nine breast cancer cell lines and in samples of 25 primary breast carcinomas and 27 patients who received preoperative anthracycline-based therapy. Tumor response to treatment and patient survival were recorded.
Results:
In cell lines, only MCF7 and BT20 had BCRP mRNA levels coinciding with membrane-bound immunostaining. In clinical samples, BCRP expression varied widely (range, 0.01-0.86). With immunohistochemistry, BCRP was detected in vessels and normal breast epithelium but not in tumor cells. There was no difference in BCRP expression between anthracycline-naïve and treated tumor samples. BCRP expression was not associated with decreased response or survival.
Conclusions:
There is no indication that elevated BCRP expression in breast carcinomas confers resistance to anthracyclines. Expression was not detectable with immunohistochemistry.
