Variant estrogen receptor messenger RNA species detected in human primary hepatocellular carcinoma.
Year: 1995
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in addition to cirrhosis affects males in a significantly higher proportion than females. Liver estrogen receptors increase when HCC develops in males; however, these tumors usually respond poorly to antiestrogens. We have, therefore, hypothesized that, similar to breast cancer, estrogen receptors in males with HCC may be mutated. Variant estrogen receptor transcripts (lacking exon 5 of the hormone binding domain) were investigated by reverse transcription-PCR in 14 patients (7 males and 7 females) with HCC. While females mostly displayed the wild-type transcript (both in peritumoral and in tumor liver tissue), males showed both transcripts in the cirrhotic tissue and almost only the variant in the tumor. As the variant ER transcripts when translated could give rise to truncated receptors still able to constitutively activate transcription, they may be key factors in favoring deregulated proliferation in the male liver.
Source: PubMed
Institution: University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrinology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2139702771