Estrogen metabolism and laryngeal papillomatosis: a pilot study on dietary prevention.
Evidence exists that estrogen metabolism has a role in the pathogenesis of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). This disease has a papillomavirus etiology and is characterized by recurrent benign tumors with a significant propensity to become malignant. We have measured the systemic transformation of estrogen using an enzyme-linked-immunoassay to measure estrogen metabolites in the urine of patients with RRP and compared these ratios to the severity of RRP, a measure of the average growth rate of papillomas. Our results show an inverse relationship between the ratio of C-2 to C-16 alpha-hydroxylated estrogens and the severity of RRP. In a pilot study, patients consumed cruciferous vegetables to induce C-2-hydroxylation. In this group of patients, an increase in the ratio correlated with an improvement in RRP. The ratio did not change in a subset of these patients, and their RRP did not improve. Regardless, the ratio correlated with severity of their RRP.
Auborn
K
K
Department of Otolaryngology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY 11040, USA. auborn@aecom.yu.edu
Abramson
A
A
Bradlow
H L
HL
Sepkovic
D
D
Mullooly
V
V
D000328:Adult; D019607:Brassicaceae; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006900:Hydroxylation; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010212:Papilloma / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012008:Recurrence; D014675:Vegetables
D004967:Estrogens