Estrogen receptor analysis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract

Estrogen receptor (ER) determinations were performed on cytosol preparations of Ficoll-Hypaque density separated mononuclear cells from 11 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The presence of ER was noted in 8 of 11 specimens (73%). ER ranged from 431 fmole/mg to 4.3 fmole/mg cytosol protein. Two types of receptor subunits were observed at the 8S and 4S region of the sucrose gradient. In addition, 1 of 3 Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transformed B-lymphoblastoid cell lines from healthy donors had a measurable amount of ER. Patient R.L., who was refractory to standard chemotherapy and radiation and was ER positive, experienced a minor response to Tamoxifen therapy, with subsequent loss of ER. The demonstration of ER in CLL suggests that this malignancy may have a hormone-dependent subpopulation of cells.

Sex-dependent association of circulating sex steroids and pituitary hormones with treatment-free survival in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients

“…Sex hormones exert their influence via hormone-specific receptors. For estrogens, some studies support the expression of estrogen receptors (ERs) in CLL but with variable results [ 8 – 10 ] with more recent data pointing towards a predominance of ERβ [ 11 ]. Hormone receptors like ERβ are ligand-regulated transcription factors activated by naturally produced steroid hormones that regulate transcription of genes controlling a wide variety of biological processes.…”

Methylation by DNMT1 is more Efficient in Chronic Lymphocytic Lymphoma Cells than in Normal Cells

“…Methylation levels were also low for these genes with the exception of HIC-1 (Figure 2). Estrogen receptor (ER) is often silenced in breast cancer; however, it is not always silenced in leukemias [16]. Similarly, GSTP1 is epigenetically silenced in prostate cancers, but its expression correlation with leukemia is not well defined [17].…”

Phytoestrogen-derived multifunctional ligands for targeted therapy of breast cancer

“…In estrogen-dependent breast cancer, ER is expressed in 70%–80% breast cancer cells but in only 15%–25% normal breast cells. Several clinical experiments have confirmed that ERs are overexpressed in endometrial cancer, laryngeal cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer and other tissues [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] . At present, various nanodelivery systems targeting ERs have been developed, and the targeting ligands used mainly include estradiol [14] , estrone [15] , tamoxifen [16] and endoxifen [17] .…”