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Adrenal tumors occur more frequently in women and are the leading cause of Cushing's syndrome during pregnancy. We aimed to evaluate the potential role of sex steroids in the susceptibility of women to adrenocortical tumors. We evaluated the presence of the progesterone receptor (PR), estradiol receptors (ERs), and aromatase in 5 patients with primary pigmented nodular adrenal disease (PPNAD), 15 adrenocortical adenomas (ACAs) and adjacent normal tissues, 12 adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs), and 3 normal adrenal glands (NA). The expression of PR and ERα was evaluated by enzyme immunoassays, real-time RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and cytosol-based ligand-binding assays. ERβ and aromatase levels were evaluated by real-time RT-PCR. ERα concentrations were low in NA, in adrenal tissues adjacent to ACA (51±33), in ACC (53±78), and lower in ACA (11±11 fmol/mg DNA). Conversely, PR concentrations were high in NA and adrenal tissues adjacent to ACA, at 307±216 fmol/mg DNA, and were even higher in tumors – 726±706 fmol/mg DNA in ACA and 1154±1586 fmol/mg DNA in ACC – and in isolated PPNAD nodules. Binding study results in four tumors were compatible with binding to a steroid receptor. In patients with PPNAD, a strong positive immunohistochemical signal was associated with the sole isolated nodular regions. ERβ transcript levels were very high in all samples except those for two ACCs, whereas aromatase levels were low. PR and ERβ are clearly present in normal adrenal glands and adrenal tumors. Further studies may shed light on the possible pathogenic role of these receptors in adrenal proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women in France, but its aetiology remains unknown. Viruses including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a human equivalent of murine mammary tumour virus (MMTV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) have been detected in benign breast tissues and breast tumours and are considered to be involved in the aetiology of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of high-risk oncogenic HPVs in breast carcinoma from French patients. Fifty unselected DNA samples extracted from invasive breast carcinoma tissues were analysed. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify both consensus GP5 + /GP6 + HPV sequences and specific sequences for HPV types 16, 18, 33, 45 and 6-11. No HPV-DNA sequences were detected in our series of 50 samples. These data argue against the role of oncogenic HPV in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]