Localization of sex steroid hormone and sex steroid hormone receptors in human ovarian epithelial tumor

: In some ovarian tumors, such as endometrioid adenocarcinoma, dysfunctional uterine bleeding occurs, and the endocrinological aspects were studied in the following way: 1) In 3 patients with epithelial ovarian tumor and postmenopausal uterine bleeding, preoperative plasma estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) concentrations were significantly high, but dropped to normal following complete resections of the ovarian tumor. Plasma E2, P and testosterone concentrations in ovarian veins were 3 to 7 times as great as in peripheral veins. 2) Tissues obtained from 25 ovarian tumors were immunohistochemically examined by the PAP method. In 9 cases of endometrioid adenocarcinoma, positive stainings for both E2 and P were demonstrated in cancer cells from 3 patients (33%) and in connective tissues from 7 patients (78%), respectively. In contrast, 16 tumors of other histological types gave only one positive staining for E2 on cancer cells and connective tissues. As for P, in 3 patients there was a positive stain on cancer cells and in 2 patients on connective tissues. 3) Five out of 8 patients with immunohistochemically positive staining for E2 on connective tissues in ovarian tumors demonstrated dysfunctional uterine bleeding. 4) Cytosolic estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in ovarian tumors obtained from 26 patients were measured by the DCC method. All of three patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma had both ER and PR. The former were 19-202 fmol/mg, and the latter 535-1,000 fmol/mg, which were significantly higher levels and positive rates than those from other patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)