A relationship between estrogen sulfurylation and estrogen and progesterone receptor status in human mammary carcinoma.

It was previously demonstrated that a correlation existed between estrogen receptor (ER) status and levels of estrogen sulfotransferase in human mammary cancer, high levels being associated with ER-positive and low levels with ER-negative tumors. We have now examined these same parameters, along with progesterone receptor (PGR) status, in 44 primary human mammary tumors. Tumors which were both ER-positive and PGR-positive (n = 21), showed significantly higher levels of estrogen sulfotransferase compared to ER-positive PGR-negative (n = 12) and ER-negative PGR-negative (n = 11) tumors. These values (pmol estradiol sulfate per mg protein per 2 hr) were 72 +/- 12 (S.E.), 25 +/- 5, and 11 +/- 4 (p less than 0.01 and less than 0.005, respectively). There was no significant difference between ER-positive PGR-negative and ER-negative PGR-negative tumors. The possible involvement of PGR in the regulation of estrogen sulfotransferase is discussed.