27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC), synthesized from cholesterol by the enzyme CYP27A1, differentially impacts estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer (BC) cell growth depending on estrogen levels. This study examined the association between CYP27A1 expression and prognosis in a cohort of 193 premenopausal patients with lymph node-negative primary BC with limited exposure to adjuvant systemic cancer treatments. In multivariable analyses among patients with ER+ tumors, high CYP27A1 protein and mRNA expressions were associated with four- and eight-fold reductions in the incidence of distant recurrence-free survival events: HRadj = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.07-0.93 and HRadj = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.03-0.60, respectively. In vitro studies revealed that 27HC treatment potently inhibited ER+ BC cell proliferation under lipid-depleted conditions regardless of estradiol levels, transcriptionally mediated through the downregulation of ER signaling with a concomitant upregulation of cholesterol export. Importantly, if validated, these results may have implications for adjuvant treatment decisions in premenopausal patients, especially when de-escalation of therapy is being considered.
© 2021. The Author(s).