Evidence of androgen receptor expression in squamous and adenocarcinoma ofthe esophagus

Androgen receptors (AR) are known to stimulate cellular proliferation in ce rtain tumors. We have assessed the androgen receptor status of esophageal c arcinoma in surgically resected specimens as well as in established human e sophageal carcinoma cells lines. In these initial studies we sought to char acterize the frequency of expression of androgen receptors in squamous vers us adenocarcinoma and in male versus female patients, and to assess the pos sible influence of AR expression on survival. We analyzed androgen receptor expression utilizing immunohistochemistry in adenocarcinoma and squamous c ell carcinoma of the esophagus in surgical specimens from 25 patients treat ed at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Tumors in 7 of 21 males (33%) a nd 1 of 4 females (25%) showed positive androgen receptor staining with the monoclonal body antibody AR 441. There was no suggestion of a difference i n expression of AR between males and females. Five of I I adenocarcinomas ( 45%) and 3 of 14 squamous carcinomas were positive. Survival was similar in AR+ and AR- patients. Studies with established tissue culture cell lines s howed AR expression by RT-PCR, with stronger expression of AR in adenocarci noma lines than in squamous carcinoma lines. The presence of AR in human es ophageal cancer is an impetus for further studies to assess anti-androgen t herapy for treatment and or prevention of these tumors.