雌激素及其受体与甲状腺癌的关系

甲状腺癌的发病率近年来呈持续增长的态势,在生育年龄段内,女性甲状腺癌患病率显著高于男性,有学者推测,这种差异与女性体内较高的雌激素水平有着密不可分的关系.雌激素是一种类固醇激素,在人体内以雌二醇为主,通过与其受体结合而发挥相应的生物学效应,包括参与生长、分化、免疫调节等.雌激素主要由肾上腺皮质和卵巢分泌,但甲状腺也能少量分泌雌激素.有研究显示,甲状腺中存在雌激素及其受体,雌激素能够通过其受体在甲状腺癌的发生、发展中发挥作用.

Relationship between estrogen,its receptors and thyroid cancer

An increasing incidence of thyroid cancer has been reported in recent years,and the frequency of thyroid cancer in female is significantly higher than that in male during the fertile age.Some scholars speculate that this difference has a close relationship with the higher level of estrogen in female.Estrogen is a kind of steroid hormone,the most important estrogen in human body is estradiol,it plays an important role via its receptors in proliferation,differentiation,immunity regulation and so on.Estrogen is mainly secreted by adrenal cortex and ovaries,but thyroid can also secret a small amount of estrogen.Previous studies have demonstrated the existence of estrogen and estrogen receptors in thyroid,and proved that estrogen may play an important role in the development and progression of thyroid cancer via estrogen receptors.