Expression of growth regulatory genes in primary human testicular neoplasms

Seven testicular tumours of different histological type--two seminomas, two teratomas/teratocarcinomas/embryonal carcinomas, one mixed seminoma/teratoma, one Leydig cell tumour and one testicular lymphoma--were examined for the expression of four potentially growth regulatory genes by Northern blotting. Seven out of seven testicular tumours contained transcripts that hybridized with a human insulin cDNA-probe whereas only four out of seven tumours contained IGF II transcripts. One tumour contained high levels of LDL-receptor transcript whereas all seven tumours contained significant quantities of HMG-CoA-reductase mRNA.