Article Text
Abstract
The aim of this work was to develop a direct in situ reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (in situ RT-PCR) assay for the detection of oestrogen receptor α (ERα) mRNA on in vitro cell lines and breast tumour cell smears. ERα mRNA amplification was performed on MCF-7 (ERα positive) and MDA-MB-231 (ERα negative) cell lines as well as on 51 cytological smears of breast tumour samples from patients. The in situ amplification of mRNA in cell lines and ex vivo breast tumours was successful. However, finding an equilibrium between optimal cell morphology and PCR performance varied with each tumour, leading to difficulty in standardisation for daily practice. Nonetheless, in situ RT-PCR is a useful tool for the detection of ERα mRNA in selected cases, both in vitro and ex vivo. J Clin Pathol: Mol Pathol
- in situ reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction
- oestrogen receptor α
- breast cancer