Localization of steroid hormone receptors in the apocrine sweat glands of the human axilla.

The apocrine axillary glands, regarded as pheromone-producing scent glands, do not begin to function until puberty. Accordingly, sex hormones should have an impact on their activity, and the present study was designed to investigate the localization of androgen receptor (AR) and estrogen receptors (ERalpha and ERbeta) in those glands. Strong nuclear immunoreactivity for AR and ERbeta was found in the secretory epithelium.