title: Expression of androgen receptor and its association with estrogen receptor and androgen receptor downstream proteins in normal/benign breast luminal epithelium.
abstract: The androgen receptor (AR) is strongly expressed in the majority of breast carcinomas, but its role in breast hormonal carcinogenesis is not clear. We believe a better knowledge of the biology of normal/benign breast tissue will be the key to understanding this process. Using standard immunohistochemical staining on consecutive sections and dual immunohistochemical labeling, we studied the expression pattern of AR and estrogen receptor (ER) in normal/benign breast luminal epithelial cells. We found that most of the AR-positive cells are also ER positive, about 10% of the cells are AR-positive only, whereas ER-positive only cells are uncommon, a distribution pattern of hormone receptor expression similar to what was revealed in invasive breast carcinomas. Whereas the expression of AR downstream proteins, such as prostate-specific antigen and gross cystic disease fluid protein, was either negative or unrelated to the AR status. We conclude that AR and ER expression status in invasive breast carcinomas reflects that of their progenitor cells in terminal duct lobular units. Our study did not reveal the expression of AR downstream proteins in normal/benign luminal epithelial cells at the regular immunohistochemistry level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yarid
authors.forename: Loralee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Hicks
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: C410798:AR protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen