Steroid receptor status of human testicular tumors.
Biopsies of 9 testicular tumors were examined for the presence of cytoplasmic receptor proteins for estrogens, progestins, androgens, and glucocorticoids. Using an arbitrary threshold value of 10 fmol/mg cytosol protein for a postive assay, only 1 of 9 tumors was estrogen-receptor positive. However, no receptor-specific 8S binding could be detected by low salt sucrose gradient centrifugation. 1 tumor was progesterone-receptor positive. No androgen receptors could be demonstrated. In contrast, 8 of 9 neoplasms contained significant quantities of glucocorticoid receptors exclusively sedimenting at 8S. Our findings suggest that androgens, estrogens, and progestins are unlikely to play a major role in the natural history of testicular tumors. The presence of glucocorticoid receptors might offer a chance for endocrine manipulation of the development and growth of these neoplasms by glucocorticoids.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003600:Cytosol / Q000032:analysis; D004407:Dysgerminoma / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000032:analysis*; D013724:Teratoma / Q000032:analysis; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis*
D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D011987:Receptors, Steroid