AROMATASE MAY PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF JUVENILE NASOPHARYNGEAL ANGIOFIBROMA

The pathophysiology of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) has yet to be fully elucidated, but the influence of steroid hormones in their growth has been suggested. This neoplasm is known to afflict adolescent males. However, only a minority of the neoplastic cells express androgen receptors....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fetal and pediatric pathology 2009, Vol.28 (5), p.232-238
Main Authors: Schlauder, Scott M., Knapp, Charles, Steffensen, Thora S., Bui, Marilyn M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
androgen
Androgens - genetics
angiofibroma
Angiofibroma - pathology
aromatase
Aromatase - metabolism
Child
estrogen receptor
Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
juvenile
Male
nasopharyngeal
Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - pathology
P450
pathology
Receptors, Androgen - metabolism
Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism
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Summary:The pathophysiology of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) has yet to be fully elucidated, but the influence of steroid hormones in their growth has been suggested. This neoplasm is known to afflict adolescent males. However, only a minority of the neoplastic cells express androgen receptors. The expression of estrogen receptor beta by the tumor cells recently has been demonstrated. Aromatase (P450) is an enzyme which is responsible for converting androgens to estrogens. However, the rule of aromatase in the pathogenesis of JNA is unknown. In this study we attempt to explain the hormone-induced growth theory by characterizing the aromatase (P450) in JNA. We examined five sinonasal JNA from adolescent males, all of which stained positive for aromatase. We propose that this enzyme is responsible for the local conversion of androgens into estrogens, which subsequently bind to the estrogen receptors leading to the growth of these tumors.
ISSN:1551-3815
1551-3823
DOI:10.1080/15513810903073724