title: Differential expression of estrogen, progesterone, and epidermal growth factor receptors in normal, benign, and malignant human breast tissues using dual staining immunohistochemistry.
abstract: Distribution of estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) receptors, and epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors was assayed by dual staining immunohistochemistry on 28 selected cytosolic ER-positive breast carcinomas and 22 nonmalignant breast tissues. ER-positive tumor cells were detected in 26 (93%) and EGF receptor positive tumor cells were detected in 7 (25%) carcinomas. In five tumors both ER and EGF receptors were detected but localized in distinct tumor cells. Only in one case of ductal carcinoma in situ co-expression was observed in a subset of tumor cells. In contrast, simultaneous expression of ER/PR and EGF receptors was observed in non-neoplastic ductal remnants in the majority of the carcinomas and the fibroadenomas. In addition, double-positive cells were occasionally detected in luminal epithelial cells of normal breast tissue and mastopathies. This study shows that ER/PR and EGF receptors in breast tumor cells are inversely related at the single cell level. However, demonstration of ER/PR and EGF receptors in individual normal luminal cells shows that expression is not mutually exclusive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Dr. Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Agthoven
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Timmermans
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Foekens
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Dorssers
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Henzen-Logmans
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002460:Cell Line; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D066246:ErbB Receptors