Article
Expression of sex hormone receptors in the human vocal fold
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Published: | August 8, 2007 |
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Introduction: The influence of hormones on voice alterations is well known. However until now only limited and controversial data exist concerning the presence of steroid hormones in the vocal fold. The aim of this study was to analyze the expression of estrogen alpha, progesterone and androgen receptor proteins in the different layers of the vocal fold.
Material and Methods: 120 samples from 77 patients were investigated including 25 Reinke´s edemas, 19 cases of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis and 16 polyps and 17 other vocal fold pathologies (laryngitis/ cyst/ carcinoma in situ/ leucoplacia) as well as 8 fresh cadaver samples. The median patient´s age was 56 years. Paraffin- embedded tissue was incubated with monoclonal antibodies (DAKO, Hamburg). Estrogen and progesterone positive breast cancer samples and androgen positive prostata cancer samples were used as a positive control.
Results: Receptor staining could be detected with different densities and locations within the different vocal fold pathologies, but not in the cadaver samples. Androgen receptors were expressed most frequently, followed by estrogen receptor, whereas progesterone receptors were not found.
Conclusion: Our study could clearly demonstrate the presence of hormone receptors in the human vocal fold. In comparison to other sex dependent organs such as breast or prostate tissue the expression was seen only rarely and the intensity varied from weak to moderate. Alternatively hormone receptors are overexpressed only during physiological changes such as mutation.