There are no estrogen and progesterone receptors in cerebral cavernomas: A preliminary immunohistochemical study

Background

Literature consistently mentions that pregnancy and hormonal therapy probably increase the bleeding rate and seizure expression of cerebral cavernomas. Either increased hormonal activity or embryogenesis related abundant expression of some growth factors such as VEGF, bFGF, and placental growth factor during pregnancy were proposed to initiate angiogenic process and vascular proliferation in cavernomas, thereby increasing their bleeding rate and seizure expression.

Methods

To reveal whether estrogen and/or progesterone have direct effect on cerebral cavernomas, their receptor expressions were studied immunohistochemically in recently excised 12 cerebral cavernomas.

Results

Study showed no expression of either estrogen or progesterone receptors in cerebral cavernomas even the staining worked well in positive control tissues of infiltrative ductal carcinoma.

Conclusions

Aggressive behavior of cerebral cavernomas during pregnancy is a commonly proven observation and attributed to some hormonal effects. However, this effect seems not related to effect of estrogen or progesterone on cavernoma tissue via receptor binding.