Correlation of immunohistochemical markers with patient prognosis in breast carcinoma: a quantitative study

In a series of 46 cases of primary mammary ductal carcinoma, immunohistochemical markers of differentiation (casein, human placental lactogen, alphalactalbumin, pregnancy specific beta-1 glycoprotein, secretory component, CEA, and peanut lectin agglutinins [PLA]), were quantitated via point-counting. An immunoperoxidase bridge (PAP) was used to identify all except the PLA, in which an avidin-biotin complex with alkaline phosphatase development was employed. For none of the markers was there any difference in the quantity present in tumors of patients who had recurred versus the tumors of patients who had enjoyed a minimum of five years disease-free survival. Nonneoplastic epithelium was only rarely positive for these markers. Although eventually surmounted, technical problems significantly hampered application of morphometry to this histochemical material. The authors conclude that these markers have little relationship to differentiation toward mammary duct epithelium and that they do not provide significant prognostic information in patients with breast cancer.