Hormonal receptors and vascular endothelial growth factor in juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: immunohistochemical and tissue microarray analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
This work demonstrated that juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (JNAs) express high levels of hormone receptors and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) compared with normal nasal mucosa. The interaction between hormone receptors and VEGF may be involved in the initiation and growth of JNA.


OBJECTIVE
JNA is a rare benign tumor that occurs almost exclusively in male adolescents. Although generally regarded as a hormone-dependent tumor, this has not been proven in previous studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of hormone receptors in JNA and the relationship with clinical characteristics.


METHODS
Standard immunohistochemical microarray analysis was performed on 70 JNA samples and 10 turbinate tissue samples. Specific antibodies for androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor-α (ER-α), estrogen receptor-β (ER-β), progesterone receptor (PR), and VEGF were examined, and the relationships of receptor expression with age, tumor stage, and bleeding were evaluated.


RESULTS
RESULTS showed that JNA expressed ER-α (92.9%), ER-β (91.4%), AR (65.7%), PR (12.8%), and VEGF (95.7%) at different levels. High level of VEGF was linked to elevated ER-α and ER-β. There was no significant relationship between hormonal receptors and age at diagnosis, tumor stage or bleeding. However, overexpression of ER-α was found to be an indicator of poor prognosis (p = 0.031).
Department of ENT, Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital of Fudan University , Shanghai , China.
Zhuofu
Z
Liu
Jingjing
J
Wang
Huan
H
Wang
Dehui
D
Wang
Li
L
Hu
Quan
Q
Liu
Xicai
X
Sun
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D018322:Angiofibroma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Tumor-free survival; estrogen receptor-α; estrogen receptor-β