Estrone-and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfatase activities in human female epidermis

Abstract

Estrone (E1)-sulfatase and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-sulfatase activities were studied in human female epidermis. Skin specimens were obtained by abdominal or plantar biopsies. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constants for E1 and DHEA sulfatases were 35.2 microM and 8.7 microM, respectively. A substrate inhibition was only observed for DHEA sulfatase. Both sulfatases had an elevated temperature optimum (65 degrees C). The effect of inorganic salts was also tested. In normal epidermis, E1-sulfatase activity was constantly higher than DHEA-sulfatase activity, but no correlation between these activities was observed. On the other hand, E1- and DHEA-sulfatase activities were lower in plantar than in abdominal epidermis. In plantar epidermis of palmoplantar keratoderma, large variations in E1-sulfatase activity, but no significant variation in DHEA-sulfatase activity, were observed. In human epidermis, the findings were consistent with the existence of two different sulfatases: E1 sulfatase and DHEA sulfatase. It would also appear that sulfatase activities are not linked to the abnormal shedding of plantar stratum corneum in palmoplantar keratoderma.

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“…There is now convincing evidence that relatively high levels of estrogen bioactivity are associated with increased breast cancer risk. In this chapter, we have seen that elevations in circulating estrogens (61) and altered estrogen metabolism (72) biologically available estrogen fractions (33,42). Moreover, similar differ ences are observed when comprisons are made between women with differing levels of breast cancer risk (18,38,51,72,74,79).…”

“…Estrone also circulates in the blood as the sulfate ester, which is not biologically active but can be converted to the unconjugated steroid by sulfatases present in breast (27,61) and endometrial (77) tissues. Estrone sulfate is quantitatively the major circulating estrogen in nonpregnant women; after menopause, it is present in the plasma at concentrations that are frequently ten times that of unconjugated estrone (32).…”

“…Estrone sulfate is quantitatively the major circulating estrogen in nonpregnant women; after menopause, it is present in the plasma at concentrations that are frequently ten times that of unconjugated estrone (32). The plasma estrone sulfate concentration is increased in obesity, but the elevations that occur in postmenopausal endometrial cancer (32) and breast cancer (61) are indepen dent of body size.…”