Aromatase (CYP19) expression in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and blood mononuclears.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the role of lymphocytes as a possible source of estrogens.


METHODS
In the present study, lymphocytes were isolated from 11 surgical samples of breast cancer after tumor enzyme digestion and Ficoll/Verographine procedure. Simultaneously, using the latter procedure, mononuclears were separated from the blood of 15 female volunteers.


RESULTS
Expression of the aromatase (CYP19) gene was readily demonstrated by standard RT-PCR in blood mononuclears cultivated in the presence of 10% fetal calf serum for 48 h. In the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) of breast cancer patients, CYP19 expression was discovered only with the aid of nested PCR.


CONCLUSIONS
The data obtained suggest that aromatase gene expression is presented in TIL at a rather low level. Nevertheless, this can have some functional significance for the estrogen-dependent growth of breast cancer tissue.
Berstein
L M
LM
Lab. of Oncoendocrinology, Prof. N.N. Petrov Research Institute of Oncology, St. Petersburg, Russia. levmb@endocrin.spb.ru
Larionov
A A
AA
Poroshina
T E
TE
Zimarina
T S
TS
Leenman
E E
EE
D000328:Adult; D001141:Aromatase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000201:enzymology*; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000201:enzymology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D017931:DNA Primers; D001141:Aromatase