Corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor-1 in human endometrial cancer.
We have previously shown that corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) inhibits the proliferation of Ishikawa (IK) human endometrial carcinoma cell line through the activation of CRH-R1 receptors. Here, we have further investigated the role of CRH and its type-1 receptor in the control of IK cell function, and we carried out a pilot study in tumor tissues obtained from 19 patients with endometrial cancer, looking at CRH-R1 gene expression. In the IK study, CRH counteracted the increase in cell proliferation caused by estradiol; type-1 receptors mediating this effect belong to the alpha subtype. In the study on human tumors, CRH-R1 was expressed in 4 out of 19 (21%) surgical specimens obtained from untreated patients with a diagnosis of primary endometrial cancer. Two out of 4 cases (50%) expressing CRH-R1 mRNA had extrauterine spreading of the disease, whereas cases not expressing CRH-R1 mRNA were all FIGO stage I, 2 (p=0.015).
Graziani
Grazia
G
Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy. graziani@uniroma2.it
Ferrandina
Gabriella
G
Pozzoli
Giacomo
G
Vergati
Matteo
M
Muzi
Alessia
A
Legge
Francesco
F
Tentori
Lucio
L
Scambia
Giovanni
G
Navarra
Pierluigi
P
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone