Cytologic diagnosis of estrogen and progesterone receptors in breast imprints.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) levels in imprint specimens obtained at breast surgery and to compare their correlation with that of standard methods.


METHODS
Imprint specimens for cytology were obtained from 101 mass-forming lesions in 66 patients, and specimens were frozen in liquid nitrogen for later assay. The imprint specimens were immunocytochemically (ICC) stained by monoclonal antibody to ER or PR; diaminobenzidine-stained cell nuclei in clusters were regarded as positive. Tissue specimens were assayed by the standard method of dextran-coated charcoal assay (DCC) and enzyme immunoassay.


RESULTS
Forty-five primary breast cancer lesions, 2 contralateral breast cancer, 49 dissected nodes and 5 benign breast lesions were collected. The correlation between DCC and ICC was 81% (82/101) for ER and 74% (66/101) for PR. That between EIA and ICC was 88% (88/99) for ER and 80% (79/100) for PR, higher than that between DCC and ICC for ER and PR.


CONCLUSIONS
ICC assessment of ER or PR on imprint cytology is a promising clinical test with an acceptable correlation.
Sasaki
Masaomi
M
Department of Pathology, Osaka City University Hospital, Second  Deaprtment of Surgery, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan.
Morimoto
Ken
K
Koh
Masae
M
Wakasa
Kenichi
K
Haba
Tomoko
T
Kinoshita
Hiroaki
H
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone