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Japanese Journal of Cancer Research : Gann logoLink to Japanese Journal of Cancer Research : Gann
. 2001 Feb;92(2):127–134. doi: 10.1111/j.1349-7006.2001.tb01074.x

Molecular Significance of Excess Body Weight in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Patients, in Relation to Expression of Insulin‐like Growth Factor I Receptor and Insulin‐like Growth Factor II Genes

Kenji Suga 1,✉, Kazue Imai 2, Hidetaka Eguchi 2, Shin‐ichi Hayashi 2, Yasuhiro Higashi 3, Kei Nakachi 2
PMCID: PMC5926695  PMID: 11223541

Abstract

A number of epidemiological and clinical studies have revealed that excess body weight increases the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer and also adversely affects subsequent malignant progression. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these observations, we examined mRNA expression of various genes in normal (non‐cancerous) mammary gland and cancer tissue of Japanese patients with primary breast cancer, in association with their body mass index (BMI). On the basis of analysis of 106 breast cancer patients, we found that mRNA expression of insulin‐like growth factor I receptor (IGF‐IR) and insulin‐like growth factor II (IGF‐II) in the normal mammary gland showed a significant and positive association with increased BMI among postmenopausal patients. Furthermore, the positive association of increased BMI with IGF‐IR mRNA expression was also found in postmenopausal breast cancer tissue, while this association was not observed among premenopausal patients. In addition, increased mRNA expression of cyclin Dl and bcl‐2 was observed in association with increased mRNA levels of IGF‐IR among the patients regardless of menopausal status. These findings suggest that the molecular consequence of the increased BMI is the increased expression of IGF‐II and IGF‐IR, resulting in development of postmenopausal breast cancer and its progression mediated through modulation of the cell cycle and apoptosis.

Keywords: Breast cancer, Body mass index, Insulin‐like growth factor II, Insulin‐like growth factor I receptor

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