title: Human chorionic gonadotrophin-beta transcripts correlate with progesterone receptor values in breast carcinomas.
abstract: The pathophysiological role for the expression of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in malignant neoplasms is currently speculative. We investigated the overall expression of genes hCG-beta 5, 3, 8 and 7 in breast carcinoma (n=214), fibroadenoma (n=37) and macromastia (n=10) by quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR. Eighty (37.4%) of the breast cancer samples revealed positive hCG-beta mRNA expression and the mean value was 67. 9 copies per 200 ng total RNA (range: 0-1743; 95% confidence interval (CI) for mean: 44-92). Fibroadenomas had more frequently detected (56.8%) and greater hCG-beta copy numbers (mean 86.9; range: 0-845; 95% CI for mean: 35-138). Macromastia probes yielded no positive hCG-beta mRNA. The hCG-beta mRNA expression was significantly different in the three histological subgroups (P=0. 006). Among breast carcinomas, a positive correlation was detected between hCG-beta mRNA copy numbers and progesterone receptor (PgR) values (P<0.001). No significant differences were seen regarding disease-free (P=0.87) and overall survival (P=0.20) depending on hCG-beta mRNA status. Finally, our findings do not support a role for hCG-beta in malignant transformation of human breast cells and indicate a possible involvement of hCG-beta in benign breast disease. The relationship with PgR expression may suggest that progestins regulate the expression of hCG in breast epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Rostock, Faculty of Medicine, Rostock, Germany. toralf.reimer@med.uni-rostock.de
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reimer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koczan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Friese
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Thiesen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gerber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes; D005260:Female; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D017931:DNA Primers; D015342:DNA Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone