| Abstract: | Concentrations of ADIOL, DHA and DHAS were measured in human breast tumours and normal tissue from the same breast and related to 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17 beta HSD) activity in these tissues. ADIOL and DHA were significantly higher in tumour tissue compared to normal tissue from the same breast (paired t-test: P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.01 respectively) whereas the difference between concentrations of DHAS in normal tissue and tumour tissue was not significant. There was a positive correlation between ADIOL and DHA in both tissues (P less than 0.001) but for DHAS the relationship was only significant in normal tissue (ADIOL:DHAS, P less than 0.001; DHA:DHAS, P less than 0.002). An increase in 17 beta-HSD activity was associated with an increase in DHAS concentrations in both normal and tumour tissue (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.001 respectively) and with an increase in DHA concentrations in normal tissue (P less than 0.05). These results might be explained by an impairment in the balance between sulphatase and sulphotransferase activity in breast tumours. |
