Increased ceramide synthase 2 and 6 mRNA levels in breast cancer tissues and correlation with sphingosine kinase expression

Intervention in the ceramide metabolic pathway is emerging as a novel means to regulate cancer and to modify the activity of chemotherapeutic drugs. We now study mRNA expression levels of the six ceramide synthase (CerS) genes in breast cancer tissue. CerS2 and CerS6 mRNA was significantly elevated in breast cancer tissue compared to paired normal tissue, with approximately half of the individuals showing elevated CerS2 and CerS6 mRNA. A significant correlation was found between CerS2 and CerS6 expression, and between CerS4 and CerS2/CerS6 expression. Moreover, patients that expressed higher CerS2 or 4 mRNA levels tended to show no changes in sphingosine kinase 1 levels, and likewise patients that expressed no change in CerS2 or CerS4 mRNA levels tended to express higher levels of sphingosine kinase 1. Together these results suggest an important role for the CerS genes in breast cancer etiology or diagnosis.