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Comparison of Immunocytochemical Estrogen Receptor Assay, Estrogen Receptor Enzyme Immunoassay, and Radioligand-labeled Estrogen Receptor Assay in Human Breast Cancer and Uterine Tissue¹

Department of Experimental Endocrinology, Johannes Gutenberg University, 6500 Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany

Determination of estrogen receptor content in 82 breast cancer specimens with immunocytochemical estrogen receptor assay (ER-EIA) (Abbott) was compared with our routinely used binding assay using ¹²⁵I-estradiol as radioligand with Scatchard plot analysis of the binding data. Although the estrogen receptor content measured with the ER-EIA was approximately 2-fold higher compared with the binding assay, the immunochemical method proved to be a useful alternative for estrogen receptor determination. Furthermore, it is possible to detect estrogen receptors in FPLC Superose 12 (size exclusion column) eluates or in the fractions obtained after sucrose density centrifugation using the ER-EIA.

Forty breast cancer samples were analyzed utilizing the immunocytochemical technique (ER-ICA) for visualization of the estrogen receptor content in frozen tumor tissues in relationship to the quantitative results obtained with the ER-EIA assay. Specific staining for estrogen receptor was confined only to the cell nucleus, was distributed irregularly among the tumor cells, and was variable in intensity. The staining intensity and the percentage of positively stained cells increased with increasing level of cytosolic estrogen receptor. In 27 of 40 cases the immunocytochemical results correlated well with the ER-EIA assay. Nine cases were ER-ICA negative with positive ER-EIA, and four were ER-ICA positive with negative ER-EIA.

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