Reduced expression of tocopherol-associated protein (TAP/Sec14L2) in human breast cancer

Xi Wang1, Jing Ni, Chen-Long Hsu

  • 1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, New York, USA.

Cancer Investigation
|November 14, 2009
PubMed

We show that TAP/Sec14L2 had a high expression in normal/benign breast, prostate, and liver tissues as compared to lung, colon, and kidney. Its expression was downregulated in breast cancer cell lines shown by quantitative-PCR. Further, 57% of 141 human invasive breast carcinomas had no or markedly reduced TAP/Sec14L2 expression by immunohistochemical staining, and the rate increased to 80% in high grade invasive carcinomas (p < .01). This downregulation of TAP/Sec14L2 was also present in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) associated with invasive carcinomas. These findings raise the possibility that TAP/Sec14L2 may serve as a tumor suppressor in breast carcinogenesis.

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