Estrogen receptors in normal salivary gland and salivary gland carcinoma.

To access for possible hormone dependence, 19 samples of normal salivary gland tissue and 14 samples of salivary gland carcinoma were quantitatively analyzed for estrogen receptor (ER) content. A receptor protein content of greater than or equal to 1 fmol/mg of cytosol protein was considered positive. Ten (77%) of 13 histologically normal samples, and four (80%) of five tumor samples obtained from male patients contained ER by this criterion, as did five (83%) of six normal samples and eight (88%) of nine tumor samples obtained from female patients. Mean ER concentrations plus or minus SE in male-derived samples were 2.02 +/- .42 fmol/mg of cytosol protein for normal tissue and 4.35 +/- 1.5 fmol/mg of cytosol protein for tumor tissue; mean ER concentrations in female-derived samples were 3.48 +/- 1.1 fmol/mg of cytosol protein for normal tissue and 12.64 +/- 6.4 fmol/mg of cytosol protein for tumor tissue. Four of eight tumors in women had levels considered to be "hormonally dependent" in breast carcinoma. These findings indicate that salivary gland carcinomas may be hormone-dependent.