M. Assimakopoulou et al., DOES SEX STEROID-RECEPTOR STATUS HAVE ANY PROGNOSTIC OR PREDICTIVE SIGNIFICANCE IN BRAIN ASTROCYTIC TUMORS, Clinical neuropathology, 17(1), 1998, pp. 27-34
Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor specimens from 90 patients with
supratentorial astrocytic brain tumors were immunostained following m
icrowave pretreatment using monoclonal antibodies against estrogen rec
eptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), and PS2 protein (PS2) and the
streptavidin/peroxidase method. The immunohistochemical analysis was
scored in a semiquantitative fashion incorporating both the intensity
and distribution of specific staining (SCORE) and the immunohistochemi
cal results were correlated with histologic grade of tumors and patien
t's sex and age. Strong PgR nuclear immunopositivity was observed in 2
7 of 46 (59%) glioblastomas, in 9 of 20 (45%) anaplastic astrocytomas,
and in 2 of 24 (8%) astrocytomas. The mean PgR score was 18.5 in glio
blastomas, 11.3 in anaplastic astrocytomas, and 0.9 in astrocytomas. T
he expression of PgR immunoreactivity appeared to be dependent on the
age and independent of the sex of patients. All tumors were negative f
or ER and PS2 protein. Normal astrocytes remained consistently negativ
e for both sex steroid receptors and PS2. Our findings indicate a cons
istent expression of PgR in a number of poorly differentiated tumors i
ncluding glioblastomas and anaplastic astrocytomas contrasting with th
e low PgR score values found in benign astrocytomas. The absence of ER
and PS2 immunoreactivities supports the hypothesis that estrogen rece
ptor in astrocytic tumors is probably truncated. However, regional tum
or heterogeneity may be a limiting factor for the use of ER, PgR, PS2
immunohistochemistry in the evaluation of routine pathology specimens
examination.