Steroid sulfatase in breast carcinoma and change of serum estrogens levels after operation

Figures & data

Figure 1.  Steroid sulfatase detection in MCF-7 cells by immunohistochemistry with anti-steroid sulfatase antibody. (×400).

Figure 2.  Representative example of steroid sulfatase immunohistochemistry in breast carcinoma. (×200).

Table I.  Association of steroid sulfatase immunoreactivity with clinical parameters.

		steroid sulfatase staining
		score 0–1	score 2–3	p*
No. of tumors		15	39
Menopausal status	premenopausal	8	6	0.01
	postmenopausal	7	33
Tumor size	≦2 cm	9	22	NS†
	>2 cm	6	17
Axially node status	negative	27	10	NS
	positive	12	5
ER	negative	9	2	NS
	positive	30	13

* chi-square test; †NS, not significant.

Table II.  Serum estrogens levels in postmenopausal patients with steroid sulfatase positive tumor.

	steroid sulfatase staining
	score 2 (n = 4)	score 3 (n = 8)	p
E1	35.9±5.3 pg/ml	56.0±6.3 pg/ml	0.06
E1S	55.1±7.3	111.7±11.9	0.02
E2	29.1±4.3	39.9±3.1	0.08
E2S	75.1±11.0	85.1±11.3	0.75

E1 = estrone, E1S = estrone sulfate, E2 = estradiol, E2S = estradiol sulfate Statistical analyze is Mann-Whitney'S U test.

Table III.  Change of serum estrogens levels in postmenopausal patients with steroid sulfatase positive tumor before and after operation

	score 2 (n = 3)		score 3 (n = 5)
STS staining	before	after	before	after
E1	32.5±5.8	36.1±4.6 pg/ml	57.9±9.1	38.4±3.5 pg/ml
E1S	51.8±9.2	51.6±6.6	117.9±15.3	54.9±5.0
E2	26.6±5.0	27.0±4.2	37.2±3.0	28.3±3.5
E2S	83.4±10.9	41.8±5.0	95.7±16.1	43.6±3.9

STS = steroid sulfatase, E1 = estrone, E1S = estrone sulfate, E2 = estradiol, E2S = estradiol sulfate.