Gradient centrifugation analysis of steroid-hormone binding in human malignant melanoma

Vertical tube rotor sucrose gradient centrifugation in the presence of the protease inhibitor sodium molybdate provide to give a deeper insight into the steroid hormone receptor status of human malignant melanoma (MM) as did previous studies using dextran-coated charcoal procedure only. As compared to endocrine dependent breast cancer, the oestrogen binding capacity of MM is low. Although in some biopsies fairly high concentrations of progestin binders were detected, the sedimentation properties were not receptor typic. Androgen binding was found to be negligible. In contrast, the presence of glucocorticoid receptors is a common feature of human MM. A human MM cell line was demonstrated to contain glucocorticoid receptors only.