EXPRESSION OF CORTICOSTEROID-BINDING GLOBULIN MESSENGER-RNA IN HUMAN UTERINE ENDOMETRIAL CANCERS

Since it has been demonstrated that corticosteroid-binding globulin (C BG) plays a role in intracellular steroidal actions in target cells, t he expression of CBG mRNA as the measure of CBG expression was investi gated in human endometrial cancers in order to assess the biological i mplications of CBG. The level of CBG mRNA was analyzed using competiti ve reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-Southern blot analy sis. While the level of CBG mRNA was significantly (P < 0.01) higher i n secretory phase endometrium than in early and late proliferative pha se endometrium, the level of CBG mRNA tended to decrease with advanced dedifferentiation of endometrial cancers as compared to normal endome trium. These results suggest that dedifferentiation of endometrial can cers induces a reduction in intracellular CBG synthesis.