title: Expression of aromatase and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase types 1, 7 and 12 in breast cancer. An immunocytochemical study.
abstract: It is known that there is a local biosynthesis of estradiol (E2) in breast carcinoma. The steroidogenic enzymes involved in E2 formation are aromatase which transforms testosterone into E2 and androstenedione into estrone (E1) and reductive 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (17beta-HSDs) which convert E1 into E2. Using immunocytochemistry, we have studied the expression of aromatase and the three reductive 17beta-HSDs 17beta-HSD types 1, 7 and 12 in 41 specimens of female human breast carcinoma and adjacent non-malignant tissues. These results were correlated with the estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and beta (ERbeta), progesterone receptor, androgen receptor, CDC47 and c-erb B-2 expressions and with the tumor stages. Aromatase was found in 58%, 17beta-HSD type 7 in 47% and 17beta-HSD type 12 in 83% of the breast cancer specimens. The 17beta-HSD type 1 could be detected in only one tumor. A significant correlation was observed between the aromatase, 17beta-HSD type 7 and 17beta-HSD type 12 expression, as well as between each of the two enzymes 17beta-types 7 and 12 and the ERbeta expression. The expression of 17beta-HSD type 12 was significantly higher in breast carcinoma specimens than in normal tissue. There was also a significant association of CDC 47 expression with ERbeta, AR and 17beta-HSD type 12. The results indicate that aromatase, 17beta-HSD type 7 and 17beta-HSD type 12, but not 17beta-HSD type 1, are commonly expressed in human breast cancer. Moreover, the high expression of both 17beta-HSD type 12 and ERbeta in breast carcinoma cells may play a role in the development and/or progression of breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: First Teaching Hospital of Jilin University, ChangChun, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Luu-The
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xueling
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Désy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Labrie
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pelletier
mesh_terms: D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000201:enzymology*; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D064168:Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 7; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D001141:Aromatase; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D064168:Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 7; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C044256:3 (or 17)-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase; C101624:MCM7 protein, human