Estradiol and progesterone receptors in normal and pathologic colonic mucosa in humans.

The presence of estradiol (E) and progesterone (Pg) receptors (R) has been demonstrated also in normal and neoplastic tissues known to be hormone-independent and in particular in primitive colonic cancer, and, possibly, in healthy colonic mucosa. In this study endoscopic and surgical colonic mucosa specimens from 55 subjects were analyzed and divided as follows: 21 samples from healthy subjects, 12 normal mucosa samples from subjects affected with colonic cancer, 8 adenomatous polyps specimens, 5 samples from ulcerative colitis drawn on areas showing macroscopic lesions and 9 colonic cancer specimens. In the control group we have observed 6 cases positive for ER (28.6%) and 2 positive for PgR (14.3%). Six normal mucosa specimens from subjects affected with colonic cancer were found to be positive for ER (50%) and 2 for PgR (16.7%). Five colonic cancers resulted ER positive (55.5%) and 4 PgR positive (44.4%). Four polyps were ER positive (50%) and 3 PgR positive (37.5%); in this group only one subject showed positive binding in the surrounding normal tissue. These data confirm the presence of ER and PgR in colonic cancer and colonic adenomas (so-called precancerous disease); in these subjects the finding of steroid receptors also in normal mucosa suggests that the presence of steroid binding could be considered as a marker of a precancerous condition.