Antibodies to estradiol were produced by immunization of sheep with 17β-estradiol-succinyl-BSA. The antiserum cross reacted readily with estrone and was used for radioimmunoassay of plasma estrone and estradiol. The method includes ether extraction, separation of estrone and estradiol by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and radio-immunoassay using a mixture of polymerized estradiol antibodies and tracer 3H-estradiol. Separation of the free and protein bound radio-activity was effected by centrifugation. The water blank of the method is 11 ± 1 picogram (pg). The lower limit of sensitivity is 50 pg. The coefficient of variation was 8–18% for estrone and 4–17% for estradiol. Analysis of plasma estrone and estradiol in 5 ovulatory menstrual cycles revealed a midcycle peak of estradiol in each subject.
An analysis of specimens of 43 head and neck tumors revealed that collagenase and protease activities paralleled each other and varied according to the anatomic site; highest activities were in tongues and tonsils, which are known to have low five-year survival rates. The greatest differences in both enzyme activities were observed in the studies of histologic patterns and tumor differentiation. The ulcerated tumors with inflammatory infiltrates having high enzyme activities suggest that collagenase and protease may be derived from inflammatory cells.COLLAGENA'lE and protease are two major factors in the breakdown of connective tissues in normal physiologic and pathologic processes.' The mechanism underlying tumor invasion is still not well understood, but must include the breakdown of collagen, a principal structural protein in the connective tissue. We have studied collagenase and protease activities in specimens of head and neck tumors to determine if the levels of collagenase and protease activities could be correlated with the clinical behavior of the disease. This paper reports collagenase and protease activities in specimens of head and neck tumors from various sites and the correlation of the levels of collagenase and protease activities with the clinical and histologic behavior of the tumors.
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