Immunohistochemical localization of beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (beta-hCG) in breast carcinomas and its prognostic significance / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: The early parity that reduces the risk of developing breast cancer indicates that hormonal conditions might play an important role in its prevention. Both pregnancy and hCG treatment are considered essential for the inhibiting breast cancer. The purpose of this study is to investigate the incidence of beta-hCG expression in breast cancer and to access its relationship with the other biologic parameters. METHODS: Three hundred and thirty-four cases of formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue blocks were selected, and then immunostained for beta-hCG. HCG expression was compared with ER, PR, HER-2/neu, the tumor characteristics and recurrence. RESULTS: Forty-four cases (13.2%) showed positivity for beta-hCG. HCG positivity was observed in 12.0% of infiltrating ductal carcinomas (32/267), 13.3% of intraductal carcinomas (4/30), 11.1% of infiltrating lobular carcinomas (1/9), 80.0% of apocrine carcinomas (4/5) and 13.0% of the other types of carcinomas (3/23). HCG expression was statistically significant between the histological tumor types (p=0.001), but not with the patient's age (p=0.696), tumor grade (p=0.255), tumor size (p=0.510), lymph node status (p=0.620), ER (p=0.498), PR (p=0.421), HER-2/neu oncogene expression (p=0.483) and tumor recurrence (p=0.181). HCG was focally expressed in the cytoplasm of the conventional types, but the apocrine type displayed diffusely intense cytoplasmic staining. CONCLUSION: Although beta-hCG expression was statistically insignificant between the tumor recurrence (p=0.181) and biological parameters, it may be of interest in the future to correlate the presence of beta-hCG expression with a possible therapeutic response in patients of the breast cancer.

The Immunoexpressions and Prognostic Significance of Inhibin Alpha and Beta Human Chorionic Gonadotrophins (hCG) in Breast Carcinomas / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Pregnancy and hCG treatments are considered essential for inhibiting breast cancer. The effect of hCG is accompanied by the synthesis of inhibin, a transforming growth factor involved in cell differentiation and proliferation. Inhibin is considered a tumor suppressor, but its role in the breast is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and tissue distribution of the expressions of inhibin-alpha and beta-hCG in breast cancer, and their prognostic relevance with other biological parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 334 of formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue blocks were selected, and then immunostained for inhibin-alpha and beta-hCG. The inhibin-alpha expression was compared with those of beta-hCG, ER, PR and HER-2/neu, as well as the tumor characteristics and recurrences. RESULTS: Inhibin-alpha and beta-hCG were expressed in 87 (26.0%) and 44 cases (13.2%), respectively. Inhibin-alpha was found in 25.1% of infiltrating ductal carcinomas (67/267), 26.7% of intraductal carcinomas (8/30), 33.3% of lobular tumors (3/9), 80.0% of apocrine carcinomas (4/5) and 21.7% of the other types (5/23). Inhibin-alpha was correlated with beta-hCG (p<0.0001), PR (p=0.010) and HER-2/ neu (p=0.021). HCG was focally expressed in the cytoplasm of the conventional types, but the apocrine type displayed diffusely intense cytoplasmic staining, which correlated with histological tumor types (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Inhibin was significantly correlated with the expressions of hCG, PR and HER-2/neu. Therefore, it might be a useful marker in the prevention and hormonal treatment of breast cancer, such as hCG and progesterone. HCG was expressed significantly higher in the apocrine type than the conventional types, suggesting it can be a useful adjunct in differentiating other cancer types.

Advances in research of the relationship between ectopic hCG and malignant tumor / 中国癌症杂志

Ectopic human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is an autocrine hormone expressed by most malignant tumor cells. Increasing data recently showed that the expression pattern and biological properties of ectopic hCG was significantly different from that of the normal hCG secreted by trophoblastic cells. Evidence from different research groups strongly indicated that there was a direct relationship between the expression of ectopic hCG and the development of malignant tumor. Ectopic hCG may play a key role in regulation of tumor growth,metastasis and immune tolerance versus malignant tumor. The advances in the research of the molecular biologic characteristics and functions of ectopic hCG are reviewed and evaluated. [