title: Estrogen and progesterone receptor expression in HPV-positive and HPV-negative cervical carcinomas.
abstract: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is widely accepted as the main cause of cervical cancer. However, the presence of HPV DNA does not inescapably lead to the development of the cancerous phenotype of the infected cell. Therefore, it is considered that the induction of full cancerous expression of HPV requires additional cofactors. The aim of this study was to assess the expression of estrogen receptor α (ERα) and progesterone receptor (PR) in archived tissue blocks of squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix and to ascertain whether expression of these receptors is associated with the presence of HPV DNA. The investigation was performed using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded cervical cancer specimens obtained from 250 women who underwent surgery for histologically confirmed neoplastic lesions. The control group consisted of normal cervical tissues obtained from 50 patients who underwent myomectomy. The results of this study revealed that the expression of ER and PR in planoepithelial cancers and adenocarcinomas of the cervix were decreased to undetectable levels. Only in singular cases in the pattern of staining the expression of ER and PR was noted. In stromal cells of the tested neoplasms, higher expression of both types of receptors was found. Comparison of the expression of ER and PR in the staining pattern and stroma of both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcioma of the cervix, showed statistically higher expression in the stromal cells. Strong expression (+1, +2, +3) of ER and PR was noted in the stromal cells irrespective of HPV infection, histopathological type of cancer, and clinical and histopathological grade.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 16 Street, 20-081 Lublin, Poland. anna.kwasniewska@am.lublin.pl
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kwasniewska
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Postawski
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gozdzicka-Jozefiak
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kwasniewski
authors.forename: Ewelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grywalska
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zdunek
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Korobowicz
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D052685:Alphapapillomavirus / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005260:Female; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone