title: A dual immunocytochemical assay for oestrogen and epidermal growth factor receptors in tumour cell lines.
abstract: A new dual immunocytochemical assay for oestrogen receptor (ER) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been developed. It has been tested in a variety of conditions using cell culture lines and the results correlate well with those obtained from single immunocytochemical assays. MCF-7 and A431 cells and a mixture of the two types of cell were assessed immunocytochemically for ER and EGFR. ER showed immunopositivity of 30% in MCF-7 cells, 10% in the mixture and 0% in A431 cells. EGFR demonstrated immunopositivity of 0% in MCF-7 cells, 70% in the mixture and 100% in A431 cells. Dual immunocytochemical assays using anti-ER followed by anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies on single histological sections showed similar reactivity to the single assays. Three staining patterns were seen in the mixture: ER+/EGFR- (MCF-7 cells), ER-/EGFR- (MCF-7 cells) and ER-/EGFR+ (A431 cells). ZR-75-1 and MDA-MB-231 cells and their retrovirally transfected counterparts ZR/HERc and MDA/HEGO cells were then analysed. The dual assay revealed the fourth phenotype (ER+/EGFR+) in 40% of ZR/HERc cells and in 10% of MDA/HEGO cells. This is the first description of a dual immunocytochemical assay system for ER and EGFR on single 5 microns frozen section samples. Studies are now underway assessing breast carcinoma sections which may allow investigation of the clonality of human breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horgan
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: McClelland
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Douglas-Jones
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Van Agthoven
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Dorssers
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Nicholson
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D005629:Frozen Sections; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D066246:ErbB Receptors