Hormone receptors in benign intracranial meningiomas

Abstract

Purpose: Although some embryologic data suggest that the neural crest elements, which are not a target tissue for estrogen and progesterone, participate in the forming of meningothelial cells, meningiomas show hormone receptors. The aim of this study was to investigate the estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) content of benign meningiomas (WHO grade I) which were completely resected. Materials and methods: Paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 30 intracranial meningiomas were examined immunohistochemically using monoclonal antibodies for ER and PR. Results: All 30 (100%) tumor samples were ER-negative. Seventeen (57%) of them were positive for PR. These receptors were found in 8 of 17 (47.50%) tumors in female patients and in 9 of 13 (69.23%) tumors in male patients (Mann-Whitney p <0.05). Age, localization of tumors and histological subtype did not correlate with PR status. Conclusion: This study demonstrated complete absence of ER in benign meningiomas. In contrast, PR were positive in more than half of the patients. PR positivity was significantly higher in male patients. © 2004 Zerbinis Medical Publications.