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Phytosterols and Cholesterol in Malignant and Benign Breast Tumors¹

Lipid Research and General Clinical Research Centers [M. J. M., T. T. I., C. J. G.] and the Department of Pathology [J. D. C.], University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267

Tissue phytosterol and cholesterol levels in 10 benign and 8 malignant breast tumors were quantitated to reexamine the hypothesis that malignant tumors had distinctive phytosterol content. Phytosterols were present in 9 of 10 benign and 7 of 8 malignant breast tumors. Mean (±S.E.) cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and ß-sitosterol in malignant and benign tumors (µg/g wet weight) did not significantly differ (p > 0.1):

In the malignant tumors, tissue cholesterol correlated with campesterol (r = 0.97) and ß-sitosterol (r = 0.97) (p < 0.01), but not with stigmasterol (r = –0.06). In benign tumors, tissue cholesterol correlated with campesterol (r = 0.43), stigmasterol (r = 0.64), and ß-sitosterol (r = 0.94), with p < 0.01 for the latter two. Phytosterols were present in four samples of normal breast tissue with mean (±S.E.) campesterol, stigmasterol, and ß-sitosterol (2 ± 0.8, 15 ± 9, 7 ± 5 µg/g wet weight) slightly but not significantly lower than in benign and malignant breast tumors, p > 0.1. The comparability of tissue phytosterols in benign and malignant breast tumors and in normal breast tissue appears to render unlikely any putative etiological relationship between phytosterols and breast carcinoma.

¹ Supported in part by the General Clinical Research Center Grant RR00068-14. A portion of this work was done during Dr. Glueck's tenure as an Established Investigator of the American Heart Association, 1971 to 1976. Studies approved by Institutional Human Experimentation Committee. Informed consent obtained. Research carried out according to the Declaration of Helsinki.

Received 3/ 8/77. Accepted 5/27/77.

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