In situ distribution of oncogene products and growth factor receptors in breast carcinoma: c-erbB-2 oncoprotein, EGFr, and PDGFr-beta-subunit.

An increasing body of evidence suggests that breast tumour growth is mediated by oncogene products and growth factors which are or which act through cell surface receptors. The aims of the present study were to determine how three of these receptors, c-erbB-2 protein, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) and the beta-subunit of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFr-beta-subunit), can effectively be demonstrated by immunohistochemical methods in breast tumors, how these receptors are distributed at the cellular level and how their expression correlates with well-established prognostic indicators including hormone receptors and proliferative index. We examined frozen tissue sections of 50 invasive human breast carcinomas, including 45 ductal, four lobular, and one mucinous tumours, by immunocytochemical methods to determine the in situ distributions of c-erbB-2, EGFr, and PDGFr-beta-subunit. We compared staining for c-erbB-2 protein in frozen sections with that in paraffin sections of the same 50 tumours. The immunohistochemical labelling results were compared with tissue hormone receptor content and growth fraction determined by Ki-67 labelling. Strong labelling of tumour cells in frozen sections was detected in 22% of cases, all of the ductal type, stained with rabbit antiserum to c-erbB-2. Labelling for c-erbB-2 protein was generally weaker in paraffin sections than in frozen sections and in six of 11 positive cases, specific staining could be detected only in frozen sections. In immunostains with monoclonal antibody to EGFr, rare cells within tumour were labelled in 60% of the carcinomas. Using a monoclonal antibody to the beta-subunit of PDGFr, consistent labelling of fibrillary cellular processes in the walls of blood vessels and in fibrous stroma around tumour cell nests was detected, but there was no labelling of tumour cells themselves. C-erbB-2 oncoprotein positive tumours were found to be more often oestrogen receptor negative (P less than 0.005) or oestrogen and progesterone receptor negative (P less than 0.01) than c-erbB-2 negative tumours. No significant correlation was observed between c-erbB-2 expression and Ki-67 growth fraction.