Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.) logoLink to British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.)
. 1988 Mar 12;296(6624):741–743. doi: 10.1136/bmj.296.6624.741

Aromatase activity in adipose tissue from breast quadrants: a link with tumour site

John S O'Neill, Robert A Elton, William R Miller
PMCID: PMC2545365  PMID: 3126957

Abstract

To determine the importance of local oestrogen biosynthesis within the breast, aromatase activity was measured in adipose tissue from the breast quadrants of 12 consecutive mastectomies from patients with breast cancer. Activity was detected in all samples (range 3·6-35·0 fmol oestrogen/mg protein/h) but varied considerably not only among different patients but also among the quadrants of individual breasts. The highest activity in a breast was always found in a quadrant that contained tumour, whereas quadrants with the lowest activity were never associated with the presence of tumour.

These results provide evidence of a significant relation between breast adipose tissue and breast cancer. Whether such an association occurs because breast tumours are more likely to develop in areas with enhanced oestrogen biosynthesis or because they secrete into their local environment factors capable of stimulating oestrogen biosynthesis remains to be determined.

Full text

PDF
741

Selected References

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

  1. Abul-Hajj Y. J., Iverson R., Kiang D. T. Aromatization of androgens by human breast cancer. Steroids. 1979 Feb;33(2):205–222. doi: 10.1016/0039-128x(79)90027-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beer A. E., Billingham R. E. Adipose tissue, a neglected factor in aetiology of breast cancer? Lancet. 1978 Aug 5;2(8084):296–296. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)91694-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Beranek P. A., Folkerd E. J., Ghilchik M. W., James V. H. 17 Beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and aromatase activity in breast fat from women with benign and malignant breast tumours. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 1984 Feb;20(2):205–212. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1984.tb00075.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Berkovitz G. D., Fujimoto M., Brown T. R., Brodie A. M., Migeon C. J. Aromatase activity in cultured human genital skin fibroblasts. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1984 Oct;59(4):665–671. doi: 10.1210/jcem-59-4-665. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DEOME K. B., FAULKIN L. J., Jr, BERN H. A., BLAIR P. B. Development of mammary tumors from hyperplastic alveolar nodules transplanted into gland-free mammary fat pads of female C3H mice. Cancer Res. 1959 Jun;19(5):515–520. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Deslypere J. P., Verdonck L., Vermeulen A. Fat tissue: a steroid reservoir and site of steroid metabolism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1985 Sep;61(3):564–570. doi: 10.1210/jcem-61-3-564. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Folkerd E. J., James V. H. Aromatization of steroids in peripheral tissues. J Steroid Biochem. 1983 Jul;19(1B):687–690. doi: 10.1016/0022-4731(83)90236-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Forney J. P., Milewich L., Chen G. T., Garlock J. L., Schwarz B. E., Edman C. D., MacDonald P. C. Aromatization of androstenedione to estrone by human adipose tissue in vitro. Correlation with adipose tissue mass, age, and endometrial neoplasia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1981 Jul;53(1):192–199. doi: 10.1210/jcem-53-1-192. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lippman M. E., Dickson R. B., Bates S., Knabbe C., Huff K., Swain S., McManaway M., Bronzert D., Kasid A., Gelmann E. P. 8th San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium--Plenary lecture. Autocrine and paracrine growth regulation of human breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 1986;7(2):59–70. doi: 10.1007/BF01806790. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Nimrod A., Ryan K. J. Aromatization of androgens by human abdominal and breast fat tissue. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1975 Mar;40(3):367–372. doi: 10.1210/jcem-40-3-367. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Patton S., Jensen R. G. Lipid metabolism and membrane functions of the mammary gland. Prog Chem Fats Other Lipids. 1975;14(4):163–277. doi: 10.1016/0079-6832(75)90004-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Perel E., Killinger D. W. The interconversion and aromatization of androgens by human adipose tissue. J Steroid Biochem. 1979 Jun;10(6):623–627. doi: 10.1016/0022-4731(79)90514-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Sasano N., Tateno H., Stemmermann G. N. Volume and hyperplastic lesions of breasts of Japanese women in Hawaii and Japan. Prev Med. 1978 Jun;7(2):196–204. doi: 10.1016/0091-7435(78)90245-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. de Waard F. Epidemiology of breast cancer; a review. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol. 1983 Dec;19(12):1671–1676. doi: 10.1016/0277-5379(83)90150-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal (Clinical research ed.) are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES