Summary
The potential for immunohistochemical detection of progesterone receptors (PRs) in routinely formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded cancer tissues by use of the monoclonal antibody Mi 60-10 (mPR1, Dianova GmbH, Hamburg) was evaluated. The PR content of breast cancer tissue was investigated in 170 cases. A positive reaction to Mi 60-10 was found exclusively in the nuclei of benign or malignant epithelial cells. The distribution of PRs was heterogeneous. Immunohistochemical reaction was scored by multiplying the percentage of positive tumour cells by their prevalent degree of staining (Immunoreactive Score or IRS). The IRS values of formalin-fixed tissues (n=170) were compared with those in snap frozen tissues (n=82), with the PR content assayed by a DCC (dextran-coated charcoal) method (n=170), with histopathological grading according to Bloom and Richardson and with the menopausal status of the patient. There was an acceptable ranked correlation (r=0.74) between IRS in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded parts and snap frozen parts of the same carcinoma. A good correlation (r=0.72) was also found, when the semiquantitative results of immunohistochemical PR detection in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues were compared to PR concentrations measured by a DCC method in tumor cytosols. There was an 80% concordance between the two methods for qualitative discrimination of PR-negative and PR-positive carcinomas. IRS correlated significantly with the degree of histological differentiation of the tumors (P<0.001) but not with the menopausal status of the women (P>0.05). Storage of paraffin-embedded tissues did not impair PR detection, for up to at least 5 years. Fixation of tissues in formalin only decreased the immunohistochemical detection rate if fixative acted for more than 24 h.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beck Th, Pollow K, Heubner A (1986) Monoklonale Antikörper zum immunhistochemischen Nachweis des Östrogen-Rezeptorstatus am Gewebeschnitt primärer Mammakarzinome. Geburtsh Frauenheilkd 46:490–494
Bloom HJG, Richardson WW (1957) Histological grading and prognosis in breast cancer, study of 1409 cases of which 359 have been followed for 15 years. Br J Cancer 11:359–377
EORTC (1973) Breast cancer cooperative group: standards for the assessment of estrogen receptors in human breast cancer. Eur J Cancer 9:379–381
Geyer H, Eberl M, Hornberger B (1985) Influence of tissue heterogeneity on determination of steroid receptors in breast cancer. Pathol Res Pract 180:30–39
Giri DD, Dangerfield VJM, Lonsdale R, Rogers K, Underwood JCE (1987) Immunohistology of estrogen receptor and D5 antigen in breast cancer: correlation with estrogen receptor content of adjacent cryostat sections assayed by radioligand-binding and enzyme immunoassay. J Clin Pathol 40:734–740
Greene GL (1987) Recent advances in hormone receptor assays: application of monoclonal antibodies. Report of a meeting held in conjugation with the international society for oncodevelopmental biology and medicine. Quebec, August 31, Excerpta Medica Newsletter
Klein PJ, Vierbuchen M, Schulz KD, Würz H, Citoler P, Uhlenbruck G, Ortmann M, Fischer R (1981) Hormonabhängige Lektinbindungsstellen: II. Lektinrezeptoren als Indikator einer Hormonsensibilität von Mammakarzinomen. Tumor Diagn 2:240–245
Maass H (1985) Das primäre Mammakarzinom — Epidemiologie, Ätiologie, Risikofaktoren, prognostische Faktoren. In: Käser O, Friedberg V, Ober KG, Thomsen K, Zander J (Hrsg) Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, Spezielle Gynäkologie I. Thieme, Stuttgart
Macher F, Neis KJ, Kaul S, Bastert G (1988) Immunzytochemische Darstellung des ER und PR in Mammakarzinomen an histologischen Schnitten, Feinnadelaspiraten und Ergüssen (Abstract). Berichte Gynäkol Geburtsh 125:610
McCarty KS Jr, Miller LS, Cox EB, Konrath J, McCarty KS Sr (1985) Estrogen receptor analyses: correlation of biochemical and immunocytochemical methods using monoclonal antireceptor antibodies. Arch Pathol Lab Med 109:712–716
McClelland RA, Berger U, Miller LS, Powles TJ, Coombes RC (1986) Immunocytochemical assay for estrogen receptor in patients with breast cancer: relationship to a biochemical assay and to outcome of therapy. J Clin Oncol 4:1171–1176
Neis KJ, Macher F, Wernert N, Bastert G (1988) Immunzytochemische Darstellung des Östrogen- und Progesteronrezeptors mit Hilfe monoklonaler Antikörper beim Mammakarzinom. In: Breitbach GP, Bastert G (Hrsg) Aktuelle Onkologie, Bd. 42, Tumorimmunologie. Zuckschwerdt, München
Neis KJ, Macher F, Kaul S, Bastert G (1989) Erste Erfahrungen mit einem monoklonalen Antikörper gegen den Progesteronrezeptorkomplex. Geburtsh Frauenheilkd 49:109–114
Perrot-Applanat M, Logeat F, Groyer-Picard MT, Milgrom E (1985) Immunocytochemical study of mammalian progesterone receptor using monoclonal antibodies. Endocrinology 116:1473–1484
Pertschuk LP, Byer Eisenberg K, Carter AC, Feldman JG (1985) Immunohistochemical localization of estrogen receptors in breast cancer with monoclonal antibodies: correlation with biochemistry and clinical endocrine response. Cancer 55:1513–1518
Remmele W, Stegner H-E (1987) Vorschlag zur einheitlichen Definition eines Immunreaktiven Score (IRS) für den immunhistochemischen Rezeptornachweis (ER-ICA) in Mammakarzinomgeweben. Pathologe 8:138–140
Scharl A, Vierbuchen M, Würz H (1989) Immunhistochemischer Nachweis von Östrogen- und Progesteronrezeptoren mit Hilfe monoklonaler Antikörper in Mammakarzinomgeweben. Vergleich mit der biochemischen Rezeptoranalyse. Pathologe 10:31–38
Silverswärd C, Skoog L, Humla S, Gustafsson SA, Nordesköld B (1980) Intratumoral variation of cytoplasmic and nuclear estrogen receptor concentrations in human mammary carcinoma. Eur J Cancer 16:50–65
Stegner H-E, Jonat W, Maass H (1986) Immunhistochemischer Nachweis nukleärer Östrogenrezeptoren mit monoklonalen Antikörpern in verschiedenen Typen des Mammakarzinoms. Pathologe 7:156–163
Weikel W, Beck T, Rosenthal H, Grill HJ (1988) Immunhistochemische Progesteronrezeptorbestimmung (mPR1) beim Mammakarzinom (Abstract). Berichte Gynäkol Geburtsh 125:610
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to the memory of the late Dr. H. Würz
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Scharl, A., Vierbuchen, M., Conradt, B. et al. Immunohistochemical detection of progesterone receptor in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissue using a monoclonal antibody. Arch Gynecol Obstet 247, 63–71 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02390663
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02390663