Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors in Breast Carcinoma and in Nonmalignant Breast Tissue

Abstract

Since 1983 we have studied the relationship, in the same patient, between receptor status in breast carcinoma and in nonmalignant breast tissue. Fifty patients have been evaluated to date. The total unoccupied cytosol estrogen and progesterone receptors were determined by a dextran-coated charcoal method. In nonmalignant breast tissue we found a measurable receptor concentration above the sensitivity of the method in 62% of cases for estrogen receptors and in 44% of cases for progesterone receptors. No relationships were found between the receptor level of each tumor and that of the corresponding benign tissue. The data suggest that the levels of the receptors in the tumor and in the nonmalignant tissue are totally independent.

Ferritin: A Tumor Marker Expressed by Renal Cell Carcinoma

“…These findings support the hypothesis that the sources of ferritin are the RCC cells. However, it was well established that serum ferritin levels may be influenced by many factors such as changes in host metabolism or ferritin-binding globulin [7,14], In order to eliminate these factors and to determine the ferritin status of the tumor more accurately, this study was designed to measure and compare tissue ferritin lev els in RCC tissue and normal renal parenchyma, simulta neously with serum levels. The determination method of cytosolic ferritin levels that we used in this study was an accepted, standardized and reproducible technique [11], Cellular debris can be removed with this method which could lead to false-positive results in immunochemical techniques [14], Our data on tissue cytosol ferritin em phasized the fact that RCC tissue shows very significantly high ferritin levels compared with normal renal parenchy ma.…”

“…Cytosols were prepared using the procedure described by Gion et al [7]. The weight of the removed tissue samples ranged between 0.85 and 1 g. Thawed samples were resuspended with 2 voi of phos phate buffer solution (0.1 M\ pH 8.4) and then homogenized at 4°C for 10 min.…”