Immunohistochemical localisation of hydroxysteroid sulphotransferase in human breast carcinoma tissue: a preliminary study.
Understanding the function and regulation of the metabolism of steroid hormones by breast tumours will be instrumental to the development of novel treatments for this widespread disease. We have examined the expression of hydroxysteroid sulphotransferase, an enzyme which inactivates many steroids, in particular androgens, in normal breast tissue and in six ductal-type mammary carcinomas using immunohistochemistry. The enzyme is not expressed in the epithelial cells which line the normal breast duct, but is present in significant amounts in neoplastic cells, suggesting that the gene encoding this protein is activated at some stage of the neoplastic transformation. The implications of this finding for the role of steroid metabolism in breast cancer are discussed.
Department of Biochemical Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, U.K.
S
S
Sharp
J M
JM
Anderson
M W
MW
Coughtrie
D001940:Breast / Q000201:enzymology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000201:enzymology*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D015238:Sulfotransferases / Q000032:analysis*
D015238:Sulfotransferases; C028152:alcohol sulfotransferase