Detection of hormone receptors in the human vocal fold

Until now only limited and controversial data are available concerning the presence of steroid hormone receptors in the human vocal fold. A sum of 140 slides from 104 patients were investigated including 25 Reinke's edemas, 19 cases of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, 19 polyps, 10 epithelial hyperplasias without or with dysplasias, 4 carcinomas in situ, 20 laryngeal carcinomas as well as 7 fresh cadaver samples without macroscopic alterations. The median patient age was 58 years. Paraffin-embedded tissue was incubated with monoclonal antibodies for estrogen-alpha, androgen and progesterone. Androgen receptors were expressed most frequently, followed by estrogen receptors, whereas no progesterone receptors were identified. Receptor staining could be detected with different densities and locations within the different vocal fold pathologies, but not in the autopsy samples. Our study could clearly demonstrate the presence of hormone receptors in the human vocal fold. Androgen receptors were most frequently detected, especially in the basal and intermediate layer of the stratified epithelium and the lamina propria. Whether the high incidence of steroid hormone receptors in some vocal fold pathologies has implications on their pathogenesis must be evaluated by further studies.