Immunoreactivity for sex steroid hormone receptors in pulmonary hamartomas

Sex steroid hormone [ie, estrogen (ER), progesterone (PgR), and androgen (AR)] receptors have been identified previously in normal salivary glands and, more variably, in salivary gland and salivary gland-type tumors. No data are available, however, on their expression in pulmonary hamartoma, a benign biphasic tumor consisting of reactive epithelial cells and neoplastic fibromyxoid stroma, cartilage and fat, which shares some morphologic, immunophenotypic, and genotypic features to pleomorphic adenoma of major salivary glands. Thirty pulmonary hamartomas (15 in male patients and 15 in age-matched female patients), were evaluated for ER, PgR, and AR immunoreactivity, and also for mesenchymal, epithelial, and myoepithelial markers, in the fibromyxoid, epithelial, and chondroid components. ER immunoreactivity was encountered in 90% of hamartomas, PgRs in 90%, and ARs in 53% (P