Growth hormone receptor is expressed in human breast cancer

Abstract

Several clinical observations and experimental studies indicate that pituitary hormones, including growth hormone, play a role in the development of human breast cancer.

We analyzed 48 human breast carcinomas using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting techniques to assess growth hormone receptor expression. In 17 of these cases, adjacent normal breast tissue was similarly analyzed.

These analyses revealed that growth hormone receptor (GHR) is expressed in human breast cancer and appears to be up-regulated compared to adjacent normal breast tissue. GHR expression correlated inversely with tumor grade and MIB-1 index. Progesterone receptor expression correlated positively with GHR expression.

These findings, along with our observation of GHR expression in breast cancer stromal cells and previous reports of local production of growth hormone in breast carcinoma, suggest that GHR-mediated signaling pathways are involved in the development of human breast cancer, possibly via autocrine or paracrine mechanisms.

 

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See also:

- Official Web Site: The Di Bella Method;

- Somatostatin in oncology, the overlooked evidences - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Somatostatin, Octreotide, Sandostatin LAR, analogues and/or derivatives);

- Somatostatin in oncology, the overlooked evidences in the "Some additional publications about hGH/GH-GHRH/GHRF/GRF" section;

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Somatostatin, Octreotide, LAR analogues and/or derivatives);

- Complete objective response, stable for 5 years, with the Di Bella Method, of multiple-metastatic carcinoma of the breast;

- Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the first-line treatment with somatostatin combined with melatonin, retinoids, vitamin D3, and low doses of cyclophosphamide in 20 cases of breast cancer: a preliminary report;

- The Di Bella Method (DBM) improved survival, objective response and performance status in a retrospective observational clinical study on 122 cases of breast cancer;

- Complete objective response to biological therapy of plurifocal breast carcinoma.