Abstract
Estrogen involvement in breast cancer has been established; however, the association between breast cancer and thyroid diseases is controversial. Estrogen-like effects of thyroid hormone on breast cancer cell growth in culture have been reported. The aim of our study was to investigate a possible correlation between the genesis of breast cancer and the levels of serum thyroid hormones. we measured the percentage of free estradiol (E2) and the amounts of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and thyroid hormones in serum samples from Kashmiri patients with breast cancer (n=50) and normal controls (n=25). The patients were found to have significantly higher free E2 and significantly lower SHBG than controls. Moreover, the serum levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) were lower in the patients than in controls, while the serum levels of TSH and TBG in the patients were not significantly different from those in controls. These results suggest that the reduction in the serum FT3, and FT4 levels, which is independent of changes in the serum level of free E2, may be one of the risk factors for breast cancer in Kashmir.
Highlights
IntroductionThe biological activity of thyroid hormones and E2 is only manifested in cells expressing thyroid receptor (TR) and estrogen receptors (ER), respectively, that overall belong to the nuclear receptor superfamily
We found that the mean percentage of free E2 in serum in this study was found to be significantly (P
The levels of FT4 in the serum of breast cancer patients have been measured by several investigators, the results reported so far were normal [6,7,8,9], lower [10,11] or higher [12] than the control level, and no unanimous conclusion has yet been reached about this inconsistency
Summary
The biological activity of thyroid hormones and E2 is only manifested in cells expressing thyroid receptor (TR) and estrogen receptors (ER), respectively, that overall belong to the nuclear receptor superfamily. These receptors share a common mechanism of action whereby hormone-receptor complexes bound to cis acting DNA elements enhance or repress transcription of target genes [5]. We compared the serum levels of thyroid hormones in patients with breast cancer and those in normal Kashmiri women. The correlation between the estrogen status, which is one of the risk factors for breast cancer, and the serum levels of each thyroid hormone in Kashmiri women was examined
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
