Comparative studies of the expression of estrogen receptor-alpha and estrogen receptor-beta in prostatic carcinoma / 中华外科杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the expression of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) and estrogen receptor-beta (ERbeta) in prostatic carcinoma (PCa).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of ERalpha and ERbeta was analysed in 32 cases of PCa, 12 cases of normal prostate tissue and 32 cases of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the genes were sequenced.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the tissue of BPH, the ERalpha expression significantly increased, but the ERbeta expression decreased in the tissue of PCa (P < 0.01). Compared with in the early stage and high differentiation of prostatic carcinoma, the ERalpha expression increased obviously, but ERbeta expression decreased in the developed stage and low differentiation (P < 0.01). ERalpha increased, but ERbeta decreased in hormone-refractory prostatic carcinoma (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ERalpha and ERbeta may play an important role in the development of PCa. It is shown that analysis of the expression of ER, especially ERbeta in PCa, will benefit to the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.</p>