J Korean Breast Cancer Soc.  1999 Dec;2(2):227-239. 10.4048/jkbcs.1999.2.2.227.

The Expression of Thymidylate Synthase in Breast Cancer

• Park JK
• Kim JS
• Kim KH
• Jeon HM
• Suh YJ
• Park WC
• Oh SC
• Jung SS
• Kim JS
• Im SA

• KMID: 2173618
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4048/jkbcs.1999.2.2.227

Abstract

Fluorouracil is well known as a standard chemotherapeutic drug in breast cancer and other cancers that is converted to flurodeoxyuridine monophosphate (FdUMP) and leads to the inhibition of thymidylate synthase (TS) in tumor tissue. The role of this enzyme is the catalysis of the methylation from deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP) to deozythymidine monophosphate (dUMP), which is a very important process for DNA synthesis in tumor tissues. Increased level of TS protein correlates inversely with sensitivity and response to 5 FU in human cancer cell lines. Authurs evaluated the TS expression level using the immunohistochmical staining and analysed their relationship with other prognostic factors and clinical outcome of breast cancer patients. The results were as follows; 1) TS level was not related histopathologic stage, involvement of axillary lymph nodes, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, recurrent type, primary tmor and recurrent tumors, disease free survival rate. 2) TS level was associated with e-erbB2 overexpression. 3) c-erbB2 overexpression was related with recurrence rate. 4) TS level appeared to be related with recurrence rate. So w conclude the TS level can be used as an independant prognostic predictor on breast cancer patients.

Keyword

Breast cancer; Thymidylate synthase; c-erbB2 overexpression

MeSH Terms

Breast Neoplasms*
Breast*
Catalysis
Cell Line
Deoxyuridine
Disease-Free Survival
DNA
Estrogens
Fluorouracil
Humans
Lymph Nodes
Methylation
Receptors, Progesterone
Recurrence
Thymidylate Synthase*
DNA
Deoxyuridine
Estrogens
Fluorouracil
Receptors, Progesterone
Thymidylate Synthase