Skip to main content
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1983 Apr;36(4):399–405. doi: 10.1136/jcp.36.4.399

Oestrogen receptor assay of cryostat sections of human breast carcinomas with simultaneous quantitative histology.

J C Underwood, V J Dangerfield, M A Parsons
PMCID: PMC498234  PMID: 6833509

Abstract

Cryostat sections of unfixed human breast carcinomas were assayed for oestrogen receptor (ER) content using an isoelectric focusing method to separate the receptor-bound oestradiol. Adjacent sections from the same tissue block were stained so that the tumour content could be estimated by point counting and the ER concentration adjusted to compensate for variations in cellularity. Elastosis was also assessed. The results confirm a positive correlation between ER values and both cellularity and elastosis. The measurement of ER in cryostat sections is relatively simple and rapid, is applicable to small tissue samples, and permits histological identification of the nature and composition of the assayed sample. The method is directly applicable to oestrogen receptor analyses of breast carcinomas in clinical laboratories with facilities for cryostat microtomy.

Full text

PDF
399

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bradford M. M. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem. 1976 May 7;72:248–254. doi: 10.1006/abio.1976.9999. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chamness G. C., McGuire W. L. Questions about histochemical methods for steroid receptors. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1982 Feb;106(2):53–54. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Gustafsson J. A., Gustafsson S. A., Nordenskjöld B., Okret S., Silfverswärd C., Wrange O. Estradiol receptor analysis in human breast cancer tissue by isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel. Cancer Res. 1978 Nov;38(11 Pt 2):4225–4228. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Lee S. H. The histochemistry of estrogen receptors. Histochemistry. 1981;71(4):491–500. doi: 10.1007/BF00508375. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Masters J. R., Hawkins R. A., Sangster K., Hawkins W., Smith I. I., Shivas A. A., Roberts M. M., Forrest A. P. Oestrogen receptors, cellularity, elastosis and menstrual status in human breast cancer. Eur J Cancer. 1978 Mar;14(3):303–307. doi: 10.1016/0014-2964(78)90194-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. McCarty K. S., Jr, Woodard B. H., Nichols D. E., Wilkinson W., McCarty K. S., Sr Comparison of biochemical and histochemical techniques for estrogen receptor analyses in mammary carcinoma. Cancer. 1980 Dec 15;46(12 Suppl):2842–2845. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19801215)46:12+<2842::aid-cncr2820461422>3.0.co;2-o. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Morrow B., Leav I., Delellis R. A., Raam S. Use of polyestradiol phosphate and anti-17 beta estradiol antibodies for the localization of estrogen receptors in target tissues: a critique. Cancer. 1980 Dec 15;46(12 Suppl):2872–2879. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19801215)46:12+<2872::aid-cncr2820461427>3.0.co;2-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Penney G. C., Hawkins R. A. Histochemical detection of oestrogen receptors: a progress report. Br J Cancer. 1982 Feb;45(2):237–246. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1982.39. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Rat R. L., Vallet-Strouve C., Erdos T. The properties of a uterine oestradiol-receptor after limited proteolysis. Biochimie. 1974;56(10):1387–1394. doi: 10.1016/s0300-9084(75)80025-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Silfverswärd C., Skoog L., Humla S., Gustafsson S. A., Nordenskjöld B. Intratumoral variation of cytoplasmic and nuclear estrogen receptor concentrations in human mammary carcinoma. Eur J Cancer. 1980 Jan;16(1):59–65. doi: 10.1016/0014-2964(80)90108-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Underwood J. C. A morphometric analysis of human breast carcinoma. Br J Cancer. 1972 Jun;26(3):234–237. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1972.32. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Underwood J. C., Sher E., Reed M., Eisman J. A., Martin T. J. Biochemical assessment of histochemical methods for oestrogen receptor localisation. J Clin Pathol. 1982 Apr;35(4):401–406. doi: 10.1136/jcp.35.4.401. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Wrange O., Nordenskjöld B., Gustafsson J. A. Cytosol estradiol receptor in human mammary carcinoma: an assay based on isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel. Anal Biochem. 1978 Apr;85(2):461–475. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(78)90243-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Zehr D. R., Satyaswaroop P. G., Sheehan D. M. Nonspecific staining in the immunolocalization of estrogen receptors. J Steroid Biochem. 1981 Jun;14(7):613–617. doi: 10.1016/0022-4731(81)90371-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. van Netten J. P., Algard F. T., Coy P., Carlyle S. J., Brigden M. L., Thornton K. R., To M. P. Estrogen receptor assay on breast cancer microsamples: implications of percent carcinoma estimation. Cancer. 1982 Jun 1;49(11):2383–2388. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19820601)49:11<2383::aid-cncr2820491127>3.0.co;2-g. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES