Oestrogen receptors and microsatellite instability in colorectal carcinomapatients

About 10-15% of sporadic colorectal cancers show microsatellite instability (MIN), a mutator phenotype of mismatch repair genes. It seems that oestrog ens may inhibit the pathway to colorectal carcinoma which involves a mismat ch repair deficiency. Oestrogen receptorial status was evaluated in the neo plastic tissue and uninvolved surrounding mucosa of 17 MIN-positive and 33 MIN-negative tumours using an immunoenzymatic assay. MIN status was examine d using the polymerase chain reaction and specific microsatellite markers. MIN was significantly associated with very low levels of oestrogen receptor in tumour tissue. Our findings suggest that MIN-positive tumours might los e a possible oestrogenic modulation mechanism. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ir eland Ltd. All rights reserved.