INCREASED EXPRESSION OF LH HCG RECEPTORS IN ENDOMETRIAL HYPERPLASIA AND CARCINOMA IN ANOVULATORY WOMEN/

Endometrial hyperplasias and carcinomas are well documented to occur i n anovulatory women with or without polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCO), which is characterized by hypersecretion of luteinizing hormone (LH). Although overexpression of LH/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) rece ptors has been demonstrated in endometrial carcinomas, whether LH/hCG receptors are also expressed in the endometrial hyperplasias is not kn own. In this study, the expression of LH/hCG receptors as well as that of progesterone receptors (PR) was analyzed by immunohistochemistry i n 20 cases of normal endometria and 24 cases of endometrial hyperplasi a and carcinoma (9 simple hyperplasias, 6 complex hyperplasias, 6 atyp ical hyperplasias, and 3 well-differentiated carcinomas). Fifteen of t he 24 patients were 40 years old or younger, presumably anovulatory by BET chart. Serum levels of LH, follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin, estradiol, and testosterone were measured by radioimmunoass ay. Expression of LH/hCG receptors was detected in 19 of the 21 hyperp lasias with a relatively stronger staining intensity in the glandular cells of complex or atypical hyperplasia as compared with normal endom etrial glands or simple hyperplasia. In addition, all of the 3 carcino ma specimens showed stronger expression of LH/hCG receptors compared w ith normal endometria. The expression of LH/hCG receptors was well cor related with the staining for PR. Hormonal assay revealed 3 women to h ave the typical endocrinological profile of PCO. These findings sugges t that the increased expression of LH/hCG receptors is a feature of en dometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma developing in younger anovulatory women including those with PCO. (C) 1997 Academic Press.