Prognostic Relevance of RIP140 and ERβ Expression in Unifocal Versus Multifocal Breast Cancers: A Preliminary Report

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of two nuclear receptor transcriptional coregulators, namely RIP140 (receptor-interacting protein of 140 kDa) and LCoR (ligand-dependent corepressor) in unifocal versus multifocal breast cancers. The expression of these two proteins was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in a matched-pair cohort of 21 unifocal and 21 multifocal breast tumors. The expression of the two estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) was studied in parallel. RIP140 and LCoR levels appeared lower in unifocal tumors compared to multifocal samples (decreased of immune-reactive scores and reduced number of high expressing cells). In both tumor types, RIP140 and LCoR expression was correlated with each other and with expression of ERβ. Very interestingly, the expression of RIP140, LCoR, and ERβ was inversely correlated with overall survival only for the unifocal group. The negative correlation with overall and recurrence free survival was more pronounced in patients whose unifocal tumors expressed high levels of both RIP140 and ERβ. Altogether, this preliminary report indicates that the ERβ/RIP140 signaling is altered in unifocal breast cancers and correlated with patient outcome. Further investigation is needed to decipher the molecular mechanisms and the biological relevance of this deregulation.