title: A new immunohistochemical antibody for the assessment of estrogen receptor status on routine formalin-fixed tissue samples.
abstract: We describe a method for the immunocytochemical assessment of estrogen receptor (ER) status on routinely processed, formalin-fixed tissue using a recently developed commercially available monoclonal antibody (Dako 1D5) with a microwave antigen retrieval technique. A series of 90 cases of human breast carcinoma was analyzed and the staining was assessed using a semiquantitative microscopic scoring method and by assessment of the percentage of nuclei showing positive staining. The results were compared with assessment using another commercially available antibody (Abbott H222) and with clinical response to tamoxifen therapy. Direct comparison of the paired sets of H scores and the percentage of positively stained nuclei using the two different techniques showed a significant correlation. By assigning an arbitrary cut-off for positivity of H score = 50, assessment of ER status using DAKO 1D5 antibody was found to correlate with response to tamoxifen therapy with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 51%, similar to values in previous studies using other methods. We conclude that assessment of ER status using this new antibody and technique gives accurate results on routinely processed, formalin-fixed tissue and may be used as an alternative to other methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, City Hospital, Nottingham, England.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goulding
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pinder
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cannon
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Snead
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Elston
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Blamey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016707:Tissue Fixation
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D013629:Tamoxifen; D005557:Formaldehyde