Steroid receptors in normal and neoplastic female reproductive tissues

The presence of cytosol estrogen (ER) and progestin (PR) receptors in specimens of normal uterine cervix, endometrium, myometrium, Fallopian tubes and corpora lutei or in samples of neoplastic female reproductive tissues was investigated. The material consisted of PR and ER measurements of tissue samples obtained from fertile and postmenopausal women, receptor assays were performed by a dextran-coated charcoal technique. The radio PR/ER was highest in specimens from the Fallopian tubes (44) and endometrium (4-10),2-3 in specimens of uterine ecto- or endocervical epithelium and about 4 in the myometrium. No ER or PR were found in the four corpora lutei examined. PR or PR/ER ratio in specimens of myoma tissues did not differ from that found in the myometrium specimens. The highest ER and PR values in the endometrium were measured in specimens taken during the late proliferative or intermediate phase of the menstrual cycle. The PR values in specimens from postmenopausal myometrium were lower in comparison with the samples taken from the myometrium of fertile women in contrast to ER values. In the specimens of carcinoma of the vulva and the uterine cervix ER levels were very low, with no measureable values of PR. In the endometrial carcinoma samples the PR/ER ratio was lower than in the normal endometrium. 4 out of 7 specimens taken from ovarian adenocarcinoma had a measureable amount of ER and in 2 out of 7 cases PR.