title: Immunohistochemical estrogen receptor assessment in hyperplastic, neoplastic, and physiologic endometria.
abstract: Endometrial hyperplasias and some endometrial carcinomas arise in a setting of estrogen excess. Steroid hormones interact with cells via specific receptors; assessing receptor levels may indicate a tissue's potential for interaction with that hormone. To examine estrogen receptor (ER) levels in endometrial hyperplasia, endometrial carcinoma, and physiologically cycling endometrium, an immunohistochemical technique utilizing a monoclonal anti-estrophilin (estrogen receptor) antibody was applied to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. In complex hyperplasia and grade I adenocarcinoma, the mean percentages of epithelial cells demonstrating nuclear staining for ER was mildly decreased compared to proliferative endometrium. A trend was noted toward less ER staining in atypical hyperplasia compared to non-atypical complex hyperplasia. ER varied with physiologic cycling of the endometrium. ER was also present in atrophic endometrium, myometrium, adenomyosis, and leiomyomata. Immunohistochemistry permits localization of ER and is a useful technique in ER assessment of endometrial hyperplasias and carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, UCLA School of Medicine.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lewin
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D008875:Middle Aged; D009215:Myometrium / Q000737:chemistry; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen