Premium
Cellular expression of growth hormone and prolactin receptors in human breast disorders
Author(s) -
Mertani Hichem C.,
GarciaCaballero Tomas,
Lambert Anne,
Gérard Francoise,
Palayer Christian,
Boutin JeanMarie,
Vonderhaar Barbara K.,
Waters Michael J.,
Lobie Peter E.,
Morel Gérard
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19980417)79:2<202::aid-ijc17>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - pathology , stromal cell , biology , medullary carcinoma , apocrine , lobular carcinoma , immunohistochemistry , fibroadenoma , estrogen receptor , receptor , mammary gland , myoepithelial cell , gynecomastia , breast cancer , cancer research , medicine , endocrinology , cancer , ductal carcinoma , thyroid , thyroid carcinoma
Growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) exert their regulatory functions in the mammary gland by acting on specific receptors. Using isotopic in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, we have localized the expression of hGH receptor (hGHR) and hPRL receptor (hPRLR) in a panel of human breast disorders. Surgical specimens from adult females included normal breast, inflamatory lesions (mastitis) benign proliferative breast disease (fibroadenoma, papilloma, adenosis, epitheliosis), intraductal carcinoma or lobular carcinoma in situ , and invasive ductal, lobular or medullary carcinoma. Cases of male breast enlargement (gynecomastia) were also studied. In situ hybridization analysis demonstrated the co‐expression of hGHR and hPRLR mRNA in all samples tested. Epithelial cells of both normal and tumor tissues were labelled. Quantitative estimation of receptor mRNA levels was regionally measured in areas corresponding to tumor cells and adipose cells from the same section. It demonstrated large individual variation and no correlation emerged according to the histological type of lesion. Receptor immunoreactivity was detected both in the cytoplasm and nuclei or in the cytoplasm alone. Scattered stromal cells were found positive in some cases, but the labeling intensity was always weaker than for neoplastic epithelial cells. Our results demonstrate the expression of the hGHR and hPRLR genes and their translation in epithelial cells of normal, proliferative and neoplastic lesions of the breast. They also demonstrate that stromal components express GHR and PRLR genes. Thus the putative role of hGH or hPRL in the progression of proliferative mammary disorders is not due to grossly altered levels of receptor expression. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 79:202–211, 1998.© 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.