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Background. The current study compared the immunocytochemical expression of estrogen (ER) and
progesterone (PgR) receptors by malignant breast cells to the hormone receptor concentrations
reported from radioligand assays. These values were examined in relation to DNA ploidy
and the fraction of cells in S phase.
Methods. ER and PgR concentrations, DNA ploidy, and S-phase fractions were measured by standard
techniques with 124 samples of invasive ductal carcinoma. Suspensions of tumor cells
were examined by immunocytochemical assay (ICA) for the percentages of ER and PgR
positive cells.
Results. Twenty-six of the 38 tumors from patients 50 years of age or younger were classified
as high S-phase fraction, and 28 tumors had aneuploid levels of DNA. The 20 ER positive
tumors each contained less than 100 fmol/mg. Thirty-nine of the 86 tumors from patients
older than 50 years were classified as high S phase, and 41 were aneuploid. Sixty-five
samples were considered ER positive by radioligand assay. ICA showed that tumors in
either age group with less than 40 fmol/mg did not contain ER positive cells. The
proportion of samples with PgR levels between 10 and 100 fmol/mg was small, and fewer
PgR positive tumors were categorized as negative when examined by ICA for receptor
containing cells. The reclassification of the hormone receptor status of a tumor based
on ICA appeared to be independent of S-phase and ploidy values.
Conclusions. Tumors that are classified as ER or PgR positive based on accepted cutoff values
for radioligand assays may actually be receptor negative because the tumors do not
appear to contain receptor positive cells.
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
June 27,
1994
Footnotes
*Supported in part by The Baptist Hospitals Foundation.
Identification
Copyright
© 1995 Mosby-Year Book, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc.