Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1994 Mar;69(3):555–561. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1994.101

Intratumoral oestrone sulphatase activity as a prognostic marker in human breast carcinoma.

T R Evans 1, M G Rowlands 1, M Law 1, R C Coombes 1
PMCID: PMC1968849  PMID: 8123487

Abstract

Oestrone sulphatase is an important source of local synthesis of biologically active oestrogens in human breast cancer. The oestrone sulphatase enzyme in the particulate fraction of human breast carcinoma was characterised. The Km was 8.91 microM, and the Vmax was 0.022 nmol min-1 mg-1. Oestrone sulphatase activity was detected in 93 of 104 human breast carcinoma samples (89%), and mean activity was 0.041 nmol min-1 mg-1 (range 0-0.399 nmol min-1 mg-1). There was no significant correlation between intratumoral oestrone sulphatase activity and oestrogen receptor status, or with any other prognostic factors. Intratumoral enzyme levels were not associated with time to recurrence or with overall survival time. It thus appears that, although a useful source of intratumoral oestrogens, oestrone sulphatase activity is not of prognostic significance in breast carcinoma.

Full text

PDF
560

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adami H. O., Hansen J., Jung B., Rimsten A. Characteristics of familial breast cancer in Sweden: absence of relation to age and unilateral versus bilateral disease. Cancer. 1981 Oct 1;48(7):1688–1695. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19811001)48:7<1688::aid-cncr2820480736>3.0.co;2-w. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Adams J. B., Pewnim T., Chandra D. P., Archibald L., Foo M. S. A correlation between estrogen sulfotransferase levels and estrogen receptor status in human primary breast carcinoma. Cancer Res. 1979 Dec;39(12):5124–5126. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Carlström K., Döberl A., Pousette A., Rannevik G., Wilking N. Inhibition of steroid sulfatase activity by danazol. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand Suppl. 1984;123:107–111. doi: 10.3109/00016348409156994. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Grodin J. M., Siiteri P. K., MacDonald P. C. Source of estrogen production in postmenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1973 Feb;36(2):207–214. doi: 10.1210/jcem-36-2-207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Haagensen C. D. Treatment of curable carcinoma of the breast. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1977 Sep-Oct;2(9-10):975–980. doi: 10.1016/0360-3016(77)90198-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hartree E. F. Determination of protein: a modification of the Lowry method that gives a linear photometric response. Anal Biochem. 1972 Aug;48(2):422–427. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(72)90094-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Henderson I. C., Canellos G. P. Cancer of the breast: the past decade (first of two parts). N Engl J Med. 1980 Jan 3;302(1):17–30. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198001033020104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Loriaux D. L., Ruder H. J., Lipsett M. B. The measurement of estrone sulfate in plasma. Steroids. 1971 Oct;18(4):463–472. doi: 10.1016/0039-128x(71)90059-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MacMahon B., Cole P., Brown J. Etiology of human breast cancer: a review. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1973 Jan;50(1):21–42. doi: 10.1093/jnci/50.1.21. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. McClelland R. A., Berger U., Wilson P., Powles T. J., Trott P. A., Easton D., Gazet J. C., Coombes R. C. Presurgical determination of estrogen receptor status using immunocytochemically stained fine needle aspirate smears in patients with breast cancer. Cancer Res. 1987 Nov 15;47(22):6118–6122. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Millington D. S. Determination of hormonal steroid concentrations in biological extracts by high resolution mass fragmentography. J Steroid Biochem. 1975 Mar-Apr;6(3-4):239–245. doi: 10.1016/0022-4731(75)90139-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Naitoh K., Honjo H., Yamamoto T., Urabe M., Ogino Y., Yasumura T., Nambara T. Estrone sulfate and sulfatase activity in human breast cancer and endometrial cancer. J Steroid Biochem. 1989 Dec;33(6):1049–1054. doi: 10.1016/0022-4731(89)90408-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Pasqualini J. R., Gelly C., Nguyen B. L., Vella C. Importance of estrogen sulfates in breast cancer. J Steroid Biochem. 1989;34(1-6):155–163. doi: 10.1016/0022-4731(89)90077-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Payne W. S., Taylor W. F., Khonsari S., Snider J. H., Harrison E. G., Jr, Golenzer H., Clagett O. T. Surgical treatment of breast cancer. Trends and factors affecting survival. Arch Surg. 1970 Aug;101(2):105–113. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1970.01340260009002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Pewnim T., Adams J. B., Ho K. P. A relationship between estrogen sulfurylation and estrogen and progesterone receptor status in human mammary carcinoma. Cancer Res. 1980 Apr;40(4):1360–1362. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Prost O., Turrel M. O., Dahan N., Craveur C., Adessi G. L. Estrone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfatase activities and plasma estrone sulfate levels in human breast carcinoma. Cancer Res. 1984 Feb;44(2):661–664. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Santner S. J., Feil P. D., Santen R. J. In situ estrogen production via the estrone sulfatase pathway in breast tumors: relative importance versus the aromatase pathway. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1984 Jul;59(1):29–33. doi: 10.1210/jcem-59-1-29. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Santner S. J., Ohlsson-Wilhelm B., Santen R. J. Estrone sulfate promotes human breast cancer cell replication and nuclear uptake of estradiol in MCF-7 cell cultures. Int J Cancer. 1993 Apr 22;54(1):119–124. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910540119. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Silva M. C., Rowlands M. G., Dowsett M., Gusterson B., McKinna J. A., Fryatt I., Coombes R. C. Intratumoral aromatase as a prognostic factor in human breast carcinoma. Cancer Res. 1989 May 15;49(10):2588–2591. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Valagussa P., Bonadonna G., Veronesi U. Patterns of relapse and survival following radical mastectomy. Analysis of 716 consecutive patients. Cancer. 1978 Mar;41(3):1170–1178. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197803)41:3<1170::aid-cncr2820410355>3.0.co;2-i. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wilking N., Carlström K., Gustafsson S. A., Sköldefors H., Tollbom O. Oestrogen receptors and metabolism of oestrone sulphate in human mammary carcinoma. Eur J Cancer. 1980 Oct;16(10):1339–1344. doi: 10.1016/0014-2964(80)90292-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES