Estrogen receptor‐β expression in extraabdominal fibromatoses

Abstract

BACKGROUNDEarly experiments using ligand‐binding assays demonstrated the presence of estrogen receptor (ER) in fibromatoses. These findings were not confirmed by later studies using immunohistochemical analysis.METHODSTo verify the expression of ERs in fibromatosis as well as to clarify the inconsistency between radioligand and early immunohistochemical studies, the authors examined a series of 40 extraabdominal fibromatoses using antibodies raised against ERβ.RESULTSAll 40 cases of extraabdominal fibromatosis were at least focally positive for ERβ. Thirty‐three of 40 (83%) displayed 3+ (>50%) expression, 5 of 40 (12%) were 2+ (11–50%), and 2 of 40 (5%) cases showed 1+ (<10%) expression. All cases were negative for ERα.CONCLUSIONSAlthough extraabdominal fibromatosis does not express ERα, there appears to be nearly uniform expression of ERβ. This finding clarifies discrepancies in the literature regarding estrogen expression in fibromatosis, and provides a biological mechanism for the action of antiestrogenic compounds in the treatment of fibromatosis. Estrogen antagonists may have a role in the treatment of refractory or recurrent extraabdominal fibromatoses. Cancer 2006. © 2005 American Cancer Society.

Results of surgical treatment in patients with abdominal desmoid fibromas

“…Учитывая выявленную связь эстрогеновых рецепто-ров и ДФ, некоторые авторы [23,24] считают оправдан-ным проведение антиэстрогенной терапии, эффектив-ность которой, по данным литературы, достигает 80%.…”

Diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment of sporadical desmoid tumors

“…Nuclear β-catenin immunoreactivity is staining positive in 67%-80% of cases in the reported series, but staining for nuclear β-catenin is not specific for desmoids, since it is also observed in 56% of superficial fibromatosis, 30% of low-grade myofibroblastic sarcomas and 22% of solitary fibrous tumors (8,11,15,72,83,84). The IHC studies on hormone receptor status show 0 to 7.4% positivity for ER-α, 7.4% to 100% positive staining for ER-β, 0 to 25.5% for progesterone receptor-A (PR-A), 0 to 33.3% for progesterone receptor-B (PR-B) and 13 to 52.9% for androgene receptor (AR) (42,72,(83)(84)(85)(86)(87). The IHCs for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), c-erbB2, c-KIT, CD34 were uniformly negative reported in the literature and, in general desmoids are regarded as ER-α and c-KIT negative tumors (83,84,85,(87)(88)(89)(90).…”

“…Observations such as the significantly lower incidence rate of colorectal cancer in women undergoing hormone replacement therapy supported the finding, though evidence for interaction of the ER pathway with the APC/ β-catenin pathway is circumstantial (72).…”

“…A possibility of functional interaction between ER and Wnt/β-catenin signaling has recently been reported in human tumor cell lines and in Drosophila, in which estrogen signaling appears to potentiate the effects of nuclear β-catenin (8,38,71,72). Observations such as the significantly lower incidence rate of colorectal cancer in women undergoing hormone replacement therapy supported the finding, though evidence for interaction of the ER pathway with the APC/ β-catenin pathway is circumstantial (72).…”

“…Table 2. Studies have shown uniform ER-α negativity and a high rate of nuclear ER-β expression in desmoids (72). Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM) are compounds with a mixed agonist/antagonist activity on ERs in different tissues (145).…”