Leobardo Calzada

Estradiol and progesterone endometrial receptors and body fat distribution in obese women.

The content of endometrial receptors for estradiol (ER) and progesterone (PR) was determined in three groups (10 women each) classified with respect to body fat distribution: (1) normal, nonobese; (2) lower body segment obesity and (3) upper body segment obesity. The ER in group 3 were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of group 1. As regards PR, no statistical differences were found among the three groups. These findings demonstrate different endometrial ER concentrations in obese women according to body fat distribution, greater in upper segment obesity. Probably the lack of progesterone as well as other factors in the endocrine milieu of these patients may determine the differences found; therefore, future research on this matter should be carried out.

Hormone-related factors associated with hormone receptor levels in breast cancer.

Estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) levels were determined in patients with a ductal infiltrating breast carcinoma. In premenopausal patients, the distribution of the PgR was higher than that of the ER. With increasing age of the patients, the concentration of the ER increased, whereas the PgR values showed an inverse relationship. According to the menstrual status, ER and PgR values were found to be higher in postmenopausal patients than in premenopausal ones. In relation to body fat distribution, in premenopausal patients the ER or PgR values were not found to be statistically significantly different (data no shown). In postmenopausal patients, the concentration of ER was diminished by 20% in patients with obesity of the upper body segment and by 40% in patients with obesity of the lower body segment as compared with the ER values of nonobese patients. While the PgR values diminished by 20% in patients with obesity of the lower body segment, in relation to PgR values of patients with obesity of the upper body segment, we found no statistically significant differences when compared with the PgR values of nonobese patients. With regard to the body mass index, this has remained constant in both types of body fat distribution. When body mass index values were compared with serum ER and PgR levels, no statistically significant differences were found.