The clinical and pathogenetic significance of estrogen receptor-beta expression in chronic liver diseases and liver carcinoma.

Background: Estrogen receptor-alpha (ERalpha) is variably expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is believed to be correlated with prognosis and survival. Recently, another estrogen receptor (ERbeta) has been identified, but its relevance in liver diseases is unknown.

Methods: The expression of ERbeta in the liver of 42 patients with HCC (10 with paired extratumoral tissues) and 26 with chronic liver disease without HCC was studied by a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction method, and correlated with the expression of ERalpha and severity of the liver disease.