Expression of insulin-like growth factor-I receptor and transferrin receptor by breast cancer cells in pleural effusion smears.
Smear preparations were made from cells harvested from pleural fluid from 90 patients with breast cancer and stained for transferrin receptor (TRFr) and insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-Ir) using an immunocytochemical technique. The results were correlated with those from 36 benign effusions smears. In malignant smears from the breast cancer cases TRFr was demonstrated in 84.4% of the cellular deposits and IGF-Ir in 91.1%. TRFr was demonstrated in two (11%) of the tuberculous effusion smears and in six (100%) effusions from patients with collagen disease. IGF-Ir was not demonstrated in any of the smears from patients with benign disease. The sensitivity and specificity of TRFr staining were 84.4% and 77.7%, respectively, and for IGF-Ir staining were 91.1% and 100%, respectively. The underlying metabolic changes in the tumour cells which give rise to positive staining with these markers are discussed.
Athanassiadou
P
P
Department of Pathology, Athens University Medical School, Greece.
Athanassiades
P
P
Petrakakou
E
E
Mavrikakis
M
M
Konstantopoulos
K
K
Kyrkou
K
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017451:Receptors, Somatomedin / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017451:Receptors, Somatomedin; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin