title: Molecular identification, expression and prognostic role of estrogen- and progesterone receptors in head and neck cancer.
abstract: The aims of this study were to assess the sex hormone receptor status of head and neck (HNC) cancers. Frozen surgical samples (n = 67) of HNC patients were analyzed. Protein expression of estrogen receptor (ER)alpha, ERbeta and progesterone receptor (PgR) of tumor cells was determined by immunocytochemistry. Data were confirmed at mRNA level by nested-PCR and sequencing. ER and PgR expressions confirmed by PCR analysis were frequent in HNC: 50.7 and 49.3% respectively. Concerning the ER isoforms, ERalpha expression was predominant over ERbeta in both of oral cavity- as well as laryngeal/hypopharyngeal (LH) cancers. The delta3 splice variant of ERalpha was detected at low frequency, while the delta5 splice variant of ERbeta was frequent in HNC. The incidence of functional receptor expression (coexpression of ER and PgR) was relatively frequent also in HNC (27/67, 40.3%) which was independent of the anatomical location of the tumor. Sex hormone receptor expressions did not affect survival of HNC patients, however, in the LH cancer subgroup ER expression was associated with a trend of shortened survival (p = 0.0636, Mantel-Cox generalized savage). ERalpha,beta and PgR expressions are frequent in HNC and may affect the prognosis of the disease, at least in case of LH cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Progression, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lukits
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Remenár
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rásó
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ladányi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kásler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tímár
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone