Nading Mary Alice, Nanney Lillian B, Boyd Alan S, Ellis Darrel L
Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
Exp Dermatol. 2008 Jun;17(6):489-97. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0625.2007.00667.x. Epub 2008 Jan 1.
Estrogen levels increase during pregnancy and clinical evidence has long suggested that melanocytes are estrogen-responsive. We hypothesized that nevi from pregnant patients would exhibit increased expression of estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) and thus enhanced potential to respond to altered estrogen levels. Normal, dysplastic and congenital nevi (n = 212) were collected from pregnant and non-pregnant women ranging from 18 to 45 years of age. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on these nevi using antibodies specifically directed against estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and ERbeta. ERalpha was not observed in any lesions; thus, ERbeta was the predominant estrogen receptor in melanocytic cells from all types of nevi. Enhanced positivity for ERbeta in normal nevi during pregnancy was noted, compared with non-pregnant controls including nevocytes residing in both the epidermal and dermal micro-environments (P = 0.005 and P = 0.001 respectively). Nevi with increasingly melanocytic atypia showed increased ERbeta in nevocytes nested within the epidermis. No additional increase in ERbeta in atypical nevi was observed during pregnancy. For normal and congenital nevi, regardless of pregnancy status, dermally associated nevocytes tended to have greater ERbeta immunoreactivity. Significant decreases in ERbeta immunoreactivity were observed in congenital nevi from pregnant women compared with normal and dysplastic nevi from pregnant women. Our data suggest that nevi possess the capacity to be estrogen-responsive. Factors such as pregnancy and degree of atypia are associated with enhanced ERbeta with the exception of congenital nevi where the melanocytes were unique in their response to pregnancy.
孕期雌激素水平升高，长期以来的临床证据表明黑素细胞对雌激素有反应。我们推测，孕妇的痣会表现出雌激素受体β（ERβ）表达增加，因此对雌激素水平变化的反应潜力增强。收集了年龄在18至45岁之间的孕妇和非孕妇的正常痣、发育异常痣和先天性痣（n = 212）。使用特异性针对雌激素受体α（ERα）和ERβ的抗体对这些痣进行免疫组织化学染色。在任何病变中均未观察到ERα；因此，ERβ是所有类型痣的黑素细胞中的主要雌激素受体。与非妊娠对照组相比，包括表皮和真皮微环境中的痣细胞，孕期正常痣中ERβ的阳性增强（分别为P = 0.005和P = 0.001）。黑素细胞异型性增加的痣在表皮内嵌套的痣细胞中显示出ERβ增加。孕期非典型痣中未观察到ERβ的进一步增加。对于正常痣和先天性痣，无论妊娠状态如何，真皮相关的痣细胞往往具有更强的ERβ免疫反应性。与孕妇的正常痣和发育异常痣相比，孕妇先天性痣中观察到ERβ免疫反应性显著降低。我们的数据表明痣具有对雌激素产生反应的能力。妊娠和异型程度等因素与ERβ增强有关，但先天性痣除外，其黑素细胞对妊娠的反应独特。
