title: Immunostaining of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, MIB1 antigen, and c-erbB-2 oncoprotein in cytologic specimens: a simplified method with formalin fixation.
abstract: An effective but simple fixation protocol for the immunocytochemical staining of cytologic smears for estrogen and progesterone receptors, the Ki-67 antigen (using MIB1 antibody), and c-erbB-2 protein is described. One hundred twenty-seven smears from a variety of malignant and benign breast lesions showed good preservation of antigenicity when subjected to the following fixation protocol: Freshly made smears were air-dried for 20 min to 14 h at 22 degrees C before immersing in 10% buffered formalin for 2-14 h. Immunostaining followed microwave-stimulated epitope retrieval. There was strong concordance of staining with corresponding tissue sections in 15 cases of malignant tumors (ER: r = 0.7381; PR: r = 0.6684; MIB1: r = 0.7234). Immunostaining staining, when delayed for 5-10 days in about half the smears, showed no noticeable difference in reactivity, attesting to effective storage of the formalin-fixed smears at room temperature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suthipintawong
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vinyuvat
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone