Prostaglandin F2α in benign and malignant breast tumours

Abstract

Prostaglandins (PGs), especially of the E-series, have been shown to be elevated in a large number of human and experimental tumours. Special efforts have been made to investigate the features and the role of PG-synthesis in human breast cancer (Bennett et al., 1975;Powles et al., 1976; Kibbey et al., 1980;Greaves et al., 1980;Malachi et al., 1981;Campbell et al., 1983).A considerable volume of research on the mechanisms of action of PGs in a wide variety of cells and tissues, indicates that PGs are possibly involved in tumour initiation, tumour promotion, cell proliferation and differentiation, the immune response, tumour metastasis, osteolysis and hypercalcaemia (Karmali, 1980;Honn et al., 1981a;Droller, 1981;Goodwin, 1981).The present study was designed to describe the basic features of PGF2X, production in benign and malignant breast tumours. Normal glandular breast tissues were used as controls. We determined PGF2<,, because this product is more stable than Brune et al., 1978). Therefore the numbers of host-derived cells and the amount of necrosis were evaluated by means of quantitative microscopy. The epithelial cellularity was also evaluated by morphometric determination of the mean nuclear density and mean nuclear area. Materials and methodsThere were 165 specimens from 106 patients who underwent surgery for a breast lump. Each C) The Macmillan Press Ltd., 1985

Breast cancer, prostaglandins and patient survival

“…Tumour size Overall, the tumour size correlated inversely with PG-LM production, in agreement with Rolland et al (1980) who measured microsomal PGE2 formation from added arachidonic acid, with Fulton et al (1982) who measured endogenously formed PGE2, and with Vergote et al (1985) who found a similar tendency with PGF2a. In contrast, Karmali et al (1983) and Watson et al (1987) found no relationship between PGs and tumour size.…”

“…However, Watson et al (1984) found similar yields of both PGE2 and PGF2,-Age Overall, the breast tumour total PG-LM correlates with age. Similar trends were seen for microsomal PGE2 formation (Rolland et al, 1980) or for PGF 2a production (Vergote et al, 1985), but Kibbey et al (1979) found no relationship to PGE2. Fulton et al (1982) obtained no correlation of PGE2 with age in just the post-menopausal women, whereas we did so with PG-LM in this group but not in premenopausal subjects.…”

“…However, the four intraduct (noninvasive) carcinomas produced comparatively little PG-LM, consistent with the low contents of PGF2e in comedo (intraduct) tumours (Vergote et al, 1985).…”

“…Fulton et al (1982) found that PGE2 and PGF2. correlated with the grade of malignancy, but in contrast Vergote et al (1985) obtained more PGF2a, from differentiated tumours than from undifferentiated tumours. -We previously reported a correlation between tumour PG-LM and the histological presence of malignant cells in the blood vessels, lymphatics and lymph nodes (Bennett et al, 1977).…”

“…Watson et al (1984Watson et al ( , 1987 (1982) found that oestrogen receptor-positive cancers produced more PGE2 than the receptor-negative tumours, and Vergote et al (1985) found a correlation between PGF2. and both the oestrogen and progesterone status.…”