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Breast Cancer Research
Published in: Breast Cancer Research 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Breast Cancer | Research article

Vitamin D receptor expression in invasive breast tumors and breast cancer survival

Authors: Linnea Huss, Salma Tunå Butt, Signe Borgquist, Karin Elebro, Malte Sandsveden, Ann Rosendahl, Jonas Manjer

Published in: Breast Cancer Research | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Vitamin D has been suggested to prevent and improve the prognosis of several cancers, including breast cancer. We have previously shown a U-shaped association between pre-diagnostic serum levels of vitamin D and risk of breast cancer-related death, with poor survival in patients with the lowest and the highest levels respectively, as compared to the intermediate group. Vitamin D exerts its functions through the vitamin D receptor (VDR), and the aim of the current study was to investigate if the expression of VDR in invasive breast tumors is associated with breast cancer prognosis.

Methods

VDR expression was evaluated in a tissue microarray of 718 invasive breast tumors. Covariation between VDR expression and established prognostic factors for breast cancer was analyzed, as well as associations between VDR expression and breast cancer mortality.

Results

We found that positive VDR expression in the nuclei and cytoplasm of breast cancer cells was associated with favorable tumor characteristics such as smaller size, lower grade, estrogen receptor positivity and progesterone receptor positivity, and lower expression of Ki67. In addition, both intranuclear and cytoplasmic VDR expression were associated with a low risk of breast cancer mortality, hazard ratios 0.56 (95% CI 0.34–0.91) and 0.59 (0.30–1.16) respectively.

Conclusions

This study found that high expression of VDR in invasive breast tumors is associated with favorable prognostic factors and a low risk of breast cancer death. Hence, a high VDR expression is a positive prognostic factor.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Vitamin D receptor expression in invasive breast tumors and breast cancer survival
Authors
Linnea Huss
Salma Tunå Butt
Signe Borgquist
Karin Elebro
Malte Sandsveden
Ann Rosendahl
Jonas Manjer
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Breast Cancer Research / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1465-542X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-019-1169-1

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