Estrogen receptor determinations in primary breast cancer. A comparison of a biochemical dextran-coated charcoal and an immunohistological technique.
The present study describes the estrogen receptor (ER) detection by an immunocytochemical assay kit (ER-ICA) on cryostat sections of 78 primary breast carcinomas. Results are compared with quantitatively measured ER levels, which were obtained by the dextran-coated charcoal (DCC) method. An excellent overall correlation between the logarithm of the ER levels, estimated by this technique, and the semiquantitative immunocytochemical evaluation was found, i.e. r = 0.73. Since the ER-ICA can be easily handled without radioactivity being involved and since it is more representative of the total tumor, we conclude (as other groups before us) that the ER-ICA is an easy-to-handle and reliable technique presenting many advantages over the DCC method.
von Kleist
S
S
Institute of Immunobiology, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
Berling
J
J
Koltzenburg
J
J
Gropp
H
H
D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis*; D002606:Charcoal / Q000494:pharmacology; D003911:Dextrans / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
D003911:Dextrans; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D002606:Charcoal