Possible involvement of prolactin in endocrine-resistant metastatic prostate cancer.

The hormone resistance of prostate cancer has been proved to depend at least in part on enhanced neuroendocrine activity and the resultant increase in blood concentrations of chromogranin A. Other experimental observations have suggested the involvement of prolactin (PRL), which appears to be a potential growth factor for prostate cancer. Abnormally high levels of PRL have been detected in metastatic prostate cancer, but the clinical significance of this finding has still to be clarified.

The favorable prognostic significance of surgery-induced hyperprolactinemia in node-positive breast cancer patients: ten-year disease-free survival results.

It has been shown that each manipulation of the mammary region, including breast surgery, may stimulate prolactin secretion. However, it has also been observed that in more than 50% of breast cancer patients surgical removal of the tumor is not followed by enhanced prolactin secretion. This might be indicative of an altered psychoneuroendocrine control of the mammary gland, which could lead to the onset of more biologically aggressive breast cancer.

Possible involvement of prolactin in endocrine-resistant metastatic prostate cancer.

The hormone resistance of prostate cancer has been proved to depend at least in part on enhanced neuroendocrine activity and the resultant increase in blood concentrations of chromogranin A. Other experimental observations have suggested the involvement of prolactin (PRL), which appears to be a potential growth factor for prostate cancer. Abnormally high levels of PRL have been detected in metastatic prostate cancer, but the clinical significance of this finding has still to be clarified.

Glial hyaluronate-binding protein: a product of metalloproteinase digestion of versican?

Glial hyaluronate-binding protein (GHAP) is a 60 kDa glycoprotein with an amino acid sequence identical to that of the hyaluronate-binding region of versican, a large fibroblast aggregating proteoglycan found in the brain. Both GHAP and versican were identified by immunoblot in bovine brain extracts prepared only minutes after death. Human recombinant collagenase, stromelysin, mouse gelatinase and gelatinases isolated from human brain by affinity chromatography digest versican and give rise to a polypeptide with electrophoretic mobility identical to GHAP.