Highly concordant coexpression of aromatase and estrogen receptor beta in non-small cell lung cancer.
Estrogen receptor expression has been reported in non-small cell lung cancer. We examined the correlation between aromatase, a key enzyme in the synthesis of estrogen, and estrogen receptor expressions in 105 non-small cell lung cancer cases. All patients were older than 60 years, and all female patients were postmenopausal. Estrogen receptor alpha and progesterone receptor were detected in only 1 and 14 cases, respectively. Estrogen receptor beta and aromatase were positive in 75 and 89 cases respectively. Estrogen receptor beta expression in non-small cell lung cancer showed an inverse correlation with lymph node metastasis (P < .05). Only among females, both estrogen receptor beta and aromatase expressions were correlated with higher Ki-67 labeling index and younger age (P < .05). Among 89 aromatase-positive cases, 70 were positive for estrogen receptor beta, demonstrating a significant concordance (P < .05). Simultaneous immunohistochemical staining for aromatase and estrogen receptor beta showed a high rate of double positive association. Male non-small cell lung cancer cases with double positivity for aromatase and estrogen receptor beta demonstrated lower status in N factor by TNM classification (P < .05). In addition, among 89 aromatase-positive cases, a low-Allred total score of estrogen receptor beta showed a significant relationship with large tumor size and high T factor by TNM classification (P < .05). In conclusion, frequent coexpression of aromatase and estrogen receptor beta in non-small cell lung cancer might suggest some functional correlation between aromatase and estrogen receptor beta, whereas estrogen receptor beta negativity might be correlated with malignant progression of non-small cell lung cancer.
Department of Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. abek@mail.tains.tohoku.ac.jp
Keiko
K
Abe
Yasuhiro
Y
Miki
Katsuhiko
K
Ono
Miki
M
Mori
Hideaki
H
Kakinuma
Yuki
Y
Kou
Nobutaka
N
Kudo
Masashi
M
Koguchi
Hiromichi
H
Niikawa
Satoshi
S
Suzuki
Dean B
DB
Evans
Shunichi
S
Sugawara
Takashi
T
Suzuki
Hironobu
H
Sasano
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors
D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D001141:Aromatase