Sex hormone receptors in gastric cancer

Gastric adenocarcinoma that originates from mucosal tissue invades submucosa, muscle, and serosa in different stages. The level of progesterone receptors (PgR), estrogen receptors (ER), and androgen receptors (AdR) in the superficial part of gastric cancer tissues (CAs) from 16 patients was determined and compared with that of the corresponding normal gastric mucosal tissues (NLm). There were PgR in all CAs (100%) with values that ranged from 20.5 to 548.4 fmol/mg protein. Eight CAs (50%) had ER values that ranged from 6.8 to 325.1 fmol/mg protein. AdR was found in two CAs with values of 14.7 and 16.4 fmol/mg protein. In NLm, 15 (93.8%) had PgR values that ranged from 7.3 to 473.2 fmol/mg protein and ten (62.5%) had ER values that ranged from 0.9 to 87.9 fmol/mg protein. AdR were present in two NLm with values of 1.5 and 73.5 fmol/mg protein. There was no statistical difference in levels of PgR and ER between CAs and NLm. There were PgR in all gastric cancers and in 93.8% of NLm. The results suggest that gastric mucosa may be the target tissues for progesterone action. Furthermore, the lack of correlation between the levels of ER and PgR in gastric cancer tissue suggests that the PgR in gastric cancers are probably estrogen independent.