title: Expression of gonadal steroid receptors in the ovaries of post-menopausal women with malignant or benign endometrial pathology: a pilot study.
abstract: This pilot study aimed to investigate the expression of estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR), as well as their subtypes [alpha (ERα), beta (ERβ)], in the ovaries of postmenopausal women with benign or malignant endometrial pathology. Twenty postmenopausal women (age 66.2 ± 7.4 years) were included, diagnosed with benign (n = 10) or malignant [(serous/papillary (n = 4), endometrioid (n = 6)] endometrial lesions. Higher ERβ and PR ovarian expressions were observed comparing women with endometrioid versus non-endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (p = 0.022 and p = 0.029, respectively). Age, age at menarche and presence of hypertension were negatively associated with ERs and PR expression. The expression of ERα and ERβ was inversely correlated with menopausal age, which was not verified for PR. No significant association was observed between ERs or PR expression and benign or malignant endometrial pathology. Higher expression of ERβ and PR in the postmenopausal ovary is associated with the presence of a less aggressive type of endometrial cancer, comparing women with endometrioid versus non-endometrioid lesions. The expression pattern of ovarian receptors did not differ regarding the development of benign or malignant endometrial lesions. Larger observational studies are necessary to confirm the significance of our findings.
authors.affiliation: a Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece .
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Panoulis
authors.affiliation: a Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece .
authors.forename: Evanthia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Christantoni
authors.affiliation: a Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece .
authors.forename: Paraskevi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pliatsika
authors.affiliation: b Unit of Reproductive Endocrinology, First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , Greece , and.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anagnostis
authors.affiliation: b Unit of Reproductive Endocrinology, First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , Thessaloniki , Greece , and.
authors.forename: Dimitrios G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Goulis
authors.affiliation: a Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece .
authors.forename: Agathi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kondi-Pafiti
authors.affiliation: a Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece .
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Armeni
authors.affiliation: a Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece .
authors.forename: Areti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Augoulea
authors.affiliation: c First Neurology Department , Aiginiteion Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Triantafyllou
authors.affiliation: a Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece .
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Creatsa
authors.affiliation: a Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Aretaieio Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Athens , Greece .
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lambrinoudaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone
keywords: Endometrioid carcinoma; estrogen receptors; postmenopausal women; progesterone receptors; serous/papillary carcinoma