title: Comparison between immunocytochemical and polymerase chain reaction techniques for detection of oestrogen receptor and transforming growth factor beta in breast cancer.
abstract: The utility of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a technique for determining the expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and of the oestrogen receptor (ER) in clinical breast cancer tissue was examined. PCR analysis was compared with immunocytochemical assays for TGF-beta and for ER. Seventy confirmed breast carcinoma samples were analysed for ER using both techniques with a statistically highly significant concordance (P < 0.001) between the two methods. Nineteen samples were observed to be ER positive and 46 samples were found to be ER negative by both techniques. Forty-eight samples were analysed for TGF-beta using both PCR and immunocytochemistry. Of the 24 samples observed to be positive for TGF-beta by immunocytochemistry, all were found to be positive for TGF-beta mRNA (PCR). Similarly, the 24 samples observed to be TGF-beta negative by immunocytochemistry were also negative for TGF-beta mRNA, indicating 100% specificity and 100% sensitivity of the PCR technique. PCR is therefore considered a viable technique for analysis of both ER and TGF-beta in small samples such as fine-needle aspirates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Witwatersrand, Parktown, South Africa.
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Amoils
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Bezwoda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta