Here we have developed and validated a real-time RT-PCR assay to quantify AR gene expression at the mRNA level in a series of 131 patients with unilateral invasive primary breast tumors.
Characterization of androgen receptor and nuclear receptor co-regulator expression in human breast cancer cell lines exhibiting differential regulation of kallikreins 2 and 3.
Re-evaluation of the breast tumor immunohistochemistry has shown positive androgen receptor expression and negative expression for estrogen, progesterone and HER-2 receptors.
Significant differences in AR levels existed among different breast tumor subtypes (highest in estrogen receptor-positive and/or progesterone receptor-positive tumors) as well as by PIK3CA mutation status (P < 0.0001 for both).
To get more insight into the role of AR in breast cancer, we additionally performed a retrospective pooled analysis to determine the prognostic value of the AR using mRNA profiles of 7270 primary breast tumors.
Recent advances in the molecular classification of breast tumours have uncovered a subset of breast tumours associated with high expression of androgen receptor mRNA including the so-called 'luminal androgen receptor (LAR) tumours' and 'molecular apocrine tumours' (MATs).
In order to define AR in breast cancer, 67 primary breast tumours and 8 normal breast samples as control tissue were analysed for AR expression at the mRNA and protein levels using RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively.