TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantitation of estrogen and androgen receptors in hepatocellular carcinoma and adjacent normal human liver
AU - Eagon, Patricia K.
AU - Francavilla, Antonio
AU - DiLeo, Alfredo
AU - Elm, Mary S.
AU - Gennari, Leandro
AU - Mazzaferro, Vincenzo
AU - Colella, Giovanni
AU - Van Thiel, David H.
AU - Starzl, Thomas E.
PY - 1991/9
Y1 - 1991/9
N2 - Sex hormones have been shown to influence the development and course of several liver diseases. The worldwide predominance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in males has led to the suggestion that this disease might be hormone-responsive. Therefore, the hepatic estrogen (ER) and androgen receptor (AR) status of liver specimens from such patients was investigated. Samples were obtained from three female and six male patients undergoing liver resection; in each case, a small sample of both the tumor and adjacent normal tissue was collected. All patients had primary hepatocellular carcinoma without cirrhosis. In most cases, the tumor and the normal specimen had an equivalent content of cytosolic ER; however, three of the tumor samples (one female and two male) displayed considerably elevated cytosolic ER levels as compared to that of the normal tissue. In every sample, the tumor contained less nuclear ER than did the normal liver. When AR was measured, tumors of three patients (one female and two male) demonstrated a twofold elevation in cytosolic AR as compared to adjacent normal tissue. In the two male patients, an approximately twofold greater nuclear AR was found. Two other samples from male patients showed a modest elevation of cytosolic AR in the tumors. The patients whose tumors showed elevations in ER were not the same patients as those in whom the AR was elevated. Thus, these studies indicate that certain, but not all, specimens of HCC demonstrate either elevated ER or AR and suggest that a determination of receptor content might be useful prior to initiation of certain antihormone therapies.
AB - Sex hormones have been shown to influence the development and course of several liver diseases. The worldwide predominance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in males has led to the suggestion that this disease might be hormone-responsive. Therefore, the hepatic estrogen (ER) and androgen receptor (AR) status of liver specimens from such patients was investigated. Samples were obtained from three female and six male patients undergoing liver resection; in each case, a small sample of both the tumor and adjacent normal tissue was collected. All patients had primary hepatocellular carcinoma without cirrhosis. In most cases, the tumor and the normal specimen had an equivalent content of cytosolic ER; however, three of the tumor samples (one female and two male) displayed considerably elevated cytosolic ER levels as compared to that of the normal tissue. In every sample, the tumor contained less nuclear ER than did the normal liver. When AR was measured, tumors of three patients (one female and two male) demonstrated a twofold elevation in cytosolic AR as compared to adjacent normal tissue. In the two male patients, an approximately twofold greater nuclear AR was found. Two other samples from male patients showed a modest elevation of cytosolic AR in the tumors. The patients whose tumors showed elevations in ER were not the same patients as those in whom the AR was elevated. Thus, these studies indicate that certain, but not all, specimens of HCC demonstrate either elevated ER or AR and suggest that a determination of receptor content might be useful prior to initiation of certain antihormone therapies.
KW - androgen receptors
KW - estrogen receptors
KW - hepatocellular carcinoma
KW - sex hormones
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U2 - 10.1007/BF01307527
DO - 10.1007/BF01307527
M3 - Article
C2 - 1654243
AN - SCOPUS:0025894987
VL - 36
SP - 1303
EP - 1308
JO - Digestive Diseases and Sciences
JF - Digestive Diseases and Sciences
SN - 0163-2116
IS - 9
ER -