Elsevier

Human Pathology

Volume 26, Issue 3, March 1995, Pages 291-294
Human Pathology

Original contribution
A new immunohistochemical antibody for the assessment of estrogen receptor status on routine formalin-fixed tissue samples

https://doi.org/10.1016/0046-8177(95)90060-8Get rights and content

Abstract

We describe a method for the immunocytochemical assessment of estrogen receptor (ER) status on routinely processed, formalinfixed tissue using a recently developed commercially available monoclonal antibody (Dako 1D5) with a microwave antigen retrieval technique. A series of 90 cases of human breast carcinoma was analyzed and the staining was assessed using a semiquantitative microscopic scoring method and by assessment of the percentage of nuclei showing positive staining. The results were compared with assessment using another commercially available antibody (Abbott H222) and with clinical response to tamoxifen therapy. Direct comparison of the paired sets of H scores and the percentage of positively stained nuclei using the two different techniques showed a significant correlation. By assigning an arbitrary cut-off for positivity of H score = 50, assessment of ER status using DAKO 1D5 antibody was found to correlate with response to tamoxifen therapy with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 51%, similar to values in previous studies using other methods. We conclude that assessment of ER status using this new antibody and technique gives accurate results on routinely processed, formalin-fixed tissue and may be used as an alternative to other methods.

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