title: Ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma with functioning stroma in postmenopausal women: aromatase and SF-1 expressions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A high serum estradiol (E2) level is occasionally detected in postmenopausal women with common epithelial ovarian tumors with functioning stroma. It has been proven that functioning stroma has the capacity to convert androgens to estrogens. However, the mechanism of the initiation and development of functioning stroma remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present two cases of elevated E2 levels in elderly women with ovarian mucinous adenocarcinomas that contained functioning stroma. Immunohistochemical evaluation revealed high expression levels of aromatase and steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1), which is considered to be a master regulator of steroidogenesis, in their ovarian stroma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These cases suggest that overexpression of SF-1 may promote estrogen biosynthesis through regulation of P450 aromatase expression in ovarian tumors with functioning stroma; this in turn induces high serum E2 levels in postmenopausal women with common epithelial ovarian tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sugita Genpaku Memorial Obama Municipal Hospital, Fukui, Japan. h-yuka@dream.ocn.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sugita Genpaku Memorial Obama Municipal Hospital, Fukui, Japan. s61yamada@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shizuka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan. ymakoto@u-fukui.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan. orisaka@u-fukui.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orisaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan. mizutani@u-fukui.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan. yyoshida@u-fukui.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000378:metabolism*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077216:Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D004967:Estrogens / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000378:metabolism*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000378:metabolism; D000072260:RNA Splicing Factors; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004967:Estrogens; D000072260:RNA Splicing Factors; C107467:SF1 protein, human; D014157:Transcription Factors; D001141:Aromatase; D015232:Dinoprostone