BACKGROUND: Axl, a member of a family of receptor tyrosine kinases characterized by an extracellular domain resembling cell adhesion molecules and an intracellular conserved tyrosine kinase domain has been reported to induce cell proliferation and transformation. In mice, axl is expressed in the normal mammary gland and over-expressed in aggressive mammary tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We have investigated the expression of axl immunohistochemically in 23 normal human breast samples and in 111 consecutive breast carcinomas. Expression of axl was correlated with tumour characteristics (lymph node involvement, stage, grade) and immunohistochemical expression of ER, PR, Ki-67 and c-erbB-2. RESULTS: In normal tissue, axl localizes to the membrane of breast epithelial cells. Axl protein shows membrane associated staining in high correlation (P = 0.004) with the expression of the estrogen receptor (ER). Axl expression was found in a subset of breast carcinomas and was also correlated with high significance (P < 0.0001) with the presence of ER. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that axl may serve as a mediator of estrogen stimulation preventing the completion of the breast epithelial life cycle and that estrogen induced axl expression may give a survival signal to cancerous cells, preventing them from dying through apoptosis.
BACKGROUND:Axl, a member of a family of receptor tyrosine kinases characterized by an extracellular domain resembling cell adhesion molecules and an intracellular conserved tyrosine kinase domain has been reported to induce cell proliferation and transformation. In mice, axl is expressed in the normal mammary gland and over-expressed in aggressive mammary tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We have investigated the expression of axl immunohistochemically in 23 normal human breast samples and in 111 consecutive breast carcinomas. Expression of axl was correlated with tumour characteristics (lymph node involvement, stage, grade) and immunohistochemical expression of ER, PR, Ki-67 and c-erbB-2. RESULTS: In normal tissue, axl localizes to the membrane of breast epithelial cells. Axl protein shows membrane associated staining in high correlation (P = 0.004) with the expression of the estrogen receptor (ER). Axl expression was found in a subset of breast carcinomas and was also correlated with high significance (P < 0.0001) with the presence of ER. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that axl may serve as a mediator of estrogen stimulation preventing the completion of the breast epithelial life cycle and that estrogen induced axl expression may give a survival signal to cancerous cells, preventing them from dying through apoptosis.
Authors: Jennifer L Dine; Ciara C O'Sullivan; Donna Voeller; Yoshimi E Greer; Kathryn J Chavez; Catherine M Conway; Sarah Sinclair; Brandon Stone; Laleh Amiri-Kordestani; Anand S Merchant; Stephen M Hewitt; Seth M Steinberg; Sandra M Swain; Stanley Lipkowitz Journal: Breast Cancer Res Treat Date: 2016-01-12 Impact factor: 4.872
Authors: Bo Song; Jian-Wu Tang; Bo Wang; Xiao-Nan Cui; Li Hou; Lu Sun; Li-Min Mao; Chun-Hui Zhou; Yue Du; Li-Hui Wang; Hua-Xin Wang; Ren-Shu Zheng; Lei Sun Journal: World J Gastroenterol Date: 2005-03-14 Impact factor: 5.742
Authors: Ron Bose; Henrik Molina; A Scott Patterson; John K Bitok; Balamurugan Periaswamy; Joel S Bader; Akhilesh Pandey; Philip A Cole Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2006-06-19 Impact factor: 11.205