Plasma steroid hormones, cytosol receptors, and thymidine incorporation rate in endometrial carcinoma.
Histopathologically evaluated endometrial carcinomas were analyzed for the presence of estradiol and progesterone receptors and for tumor thymidine incorporation rate. Plasma estradiol and progesterone concentrations were also measured. With the use of an improved assay, all endometrial carcinomas were found to contain estradiol receptors; 81 of 92 (88%) contained measurable concentrations of progesterone receptors. The concentrations of both receptors were positively correlated to the degree of differentiation. The moderately and poorly differentiated tumours could be further divided into subgroups with low and high concentrations of receptors, which might be a reflection of an independent biologic characteristic of a tumor. These subgroups did not differ in any of the other variables studied, including the age of the patients. The plasma concentrations of estradiol showed a positive correlation to the degree of differentiation and to the concentration of both receptors. It is suggested that improved analyses of estradiol and progesterone receptors in endometrial carcinomas may add information to the conventional histopathologic and clinical classification which will be of significant value in the proper treatment of the disease.
D000368:Aged; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D011959:Receptors, Estradiol; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D011959:Receptors, Estradiol; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D013936:Thymidine