Multiple steroid receptors in nasopharyngeal angiofibromas.

Cytosols from 12 nasopharyngeal angiofibroma tissues were analyzed for the presence of estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), androgen (AR), and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors, by using a dextran charcoal assay. Progesterone receptors (58%) clearly predominate over ER and AR (25%). Thus, nasoangiofibromas can be classified as ER-PR+ tumors. Glucocorticoid receptors were found in 84% of the tumors. Steroid receptor levels, although slightly higher than those determined in three specimens of normal turbinate, were quantitatively low. Positive PR and AR tumors appeared to correlate with high density of fibroblasts and endothelial cells.