Luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin receptors in breast cancer

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 57; no. 5; pp. 857 - 864
• Main Authors: MEDURI, G, CHARNAUX, N, LOOSFELT, H, JOLIVET, A, SPYRATOS, F, BRAILLY, S, MILGROM, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01.03.1997
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Breast - metabolism; Breast Neoplasms - metabolism; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - metabolism; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; L Cells (Cell Line); Mammary gland diseases; Mammary Glands, Animal - metabolism; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal - metabolism; Medical sciences; Mice; Middle Aged; Ovulation; Receptors, LH - metabolism; Swine; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumors; Human; Immunocytochemistry; Gonadotropin; Malignant tumor; Glycoprotein hormone; Normal; HCG; In vitro; Placental hormone; Mammary gland diseases; Adenohypophyseal hormone; Investigation method; Established cell line; Epithelial cell; Mammary gland; LH; Tumor cell; Growth factor; Hormonal receptor
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445

Recent studies have suggested that human choriogonadotropin (hCG), in addition to its function in regulating steroidogenesis, may also play a role as a growth factor. Immunocytochemistry using two different monoclonal antibodies (LHR29 and LHR1055) raised against the human luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin (LH/hCG) receptor allowed us to detect this receptor in breast cancer cell lines (T47D, MCF7, and ZR75) in individual cancer biopsies and in benign breast lesions. The receptor was also present in epithelial cells of normal human and sow breast. In the latter, its concentration increased after ovulation. The presence of LH/hCG receptor mRNA was confirmed by reverse transcription-PCR using primers extending over exons 2-4, 5-11, and 9-11. The proportion of LH/hCG-receptor positive cells and the intensity of the immunolabeling varied in individual biopsies, but there was no obvious correlation with the histological type of the cancer. These results are compatible with previous studies suggesting that during pregnancy, hCG is involved in the differentiation of breast glandular epithelium and that this hormone may play an inhibitory role in mammary carcinogenesis and in the growth of breast tumors.