Immunohistochemical analysis of steroid receptors in ovaries of postmenopausal women--effects of aging and hormone status

Immunohistochemical analysis of steroid receptors in ovaries of postmenopausal women - effects of aging and hormone status A. Brodowska1, M. Laszczyńska2, A. Starczewski1, J. Brodowski3, M. Masiuk4 and W. Domagała5 1Department of Reproduction and Gynecology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland, 2Laboratory of Histology and Developmental Biology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland, 3Laboratory of General Practice, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland, 4Department of Pathology, Public Voivodeship Hospital, Szczecin, Poland and 5Department of Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland. Offprint requests to: Prof. Maria Laszczyńska, Laboratory of Histology and Developmental Biology, Pomeranian Medical University, Zolnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland. e-mail: [email protected] Summary. Current knowledge on immunolocalization and immunoexpression of steroid hormone receptors, especially estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α), progesterone receptor (PR) and androgen receptor (AR) in normal ovaries in postmenopausal women is not complete. The recognition of localization of these receptors in postmenopausal women is crucial, as many of these women receive estro-progestagene therapy, and its participation in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer should be carefully studied. In our paper we present the results of immunohistochemical studies performed on samples from 100 post-menopausal women (aged: 48 to 60 years) who did not use hormonal therapy. The ovaries were removed during elective operation due to uterine leiomyoma, endometriosis and/or prolapsed uterine. PR, ER-α and AR were detected in the normal ovaries of postmenopausal women in stroma and in ovarian surface epithelium, as well as in its invagination and in epithelial inclusion cysts. The expression of PR and AR did not change, while the expression of ER-α decreased in time from menopause, and it was also detected in patients more than 10 years after menopause. Women older than 60 were not included in the study. The concentration of selected hormones was measured in the serum. The immunohistochemical expression of PR and AR were similar in all examined patients and did not correlate with FSH, LH, T, A, DHEAS concentrations in serum, while immunohistochemical expression of ER-α correlated with FSH, LH, T, A, DHEAS concentrations in serum. The significant correlation of decreasing expression of ER-α in normal ovarian tissue and decreasing concentrations of T, A and DHEAS in serum were found, as well as increasing serum concentrations of FSH and LH. Histol Histopathol 25, 1009-1016 (2010) Key words: Postmenopausal ovary, Immunohisto-chemistry, Steroid receptors, Progesterone receptor, Androgen receptor, Estrogen receptor α, Epithelial inclusion cyst, Pathology DOI: 10.14670/HH-25.1009