Cytochemical demonstration of estrogen binding sites in breast cancer by estradiol covalently linked to horseradish peroxidase.

17 beta-Estradiol-6-carboxymethyloxime was covalently linked to horseradish peroxidase for the cytochemical demonstration of estrogen binding sites in breast cancer tissue. The affinity of the 17 beta-estradiol-horseradish peroxidase (E2-HRP) conjugate for the estrogen receptor in a human myometrial cytosol preparation was reduced by a factor of about 16 relative to that of 17 beta-estradiol. The estradiol concentration of the E2-HRP conjugate used in the incubations was in the range 2 X 10(-9) -1 X 10(-7) mol/l which, when the reduced affinity of the conjugate is taken into account, corresponds to 1 X 10(-10) -7 X 10(-9) mol/l unbound estradiol. The cytochemical reaction was carried out on cytofuge preparations of cell suspensions of breast cancer tissue. The intensity of the cytochemical reaction was microscopically evaluated by scoring. The results were analyzed in a plot allowing the calculation of an apparent score-max and an apparent Kd value. The reaction intensity was reduced to 20-25% of the control level by a 20-fold excess of 17 beta-estradiol. The cytochemical results correlated positively with the content of estrogen receptors in the cytosol as measured by a validated radioligand method.