[Estrogen receptor (ER) status of breast cancer cells. I. Classification of breast cancer cells bound with fluoresceinate-estrogen].

Based on the location and intensity of fluoresceinate-estradiol or 17-fluoresceinate-estrone bound to breast cancer cells, the estrogen receptor (ER) status of breast cancer cells were classified into A. B. C. D and E types. The type A was the entire cell marked with fluorescent brightness, B was nucleus marked with fluorescence but not the cytoplasm, C was cytoplasm but not the nucleus, D was only the nucleolus concentrated with fluorescence and type E was very faint fluorescence presented in the entire cell. Types A, B and C were taken as positive, and the others negative. Twenty human breast cancer cells bound with fluoresceinate-estradiol were evaluated by computer image processing technique and it was demonstrated that each of the five types of cells could be identified. The instant and contiguous observation after dropped the 17-fluoresceinate-estrone demonstrated the simultaneous presence of all these five types of cells. The breast cancer cells bound with fluorescence light the distribution of ER within a cell and, hence, the possibility of morphologic and biologic investigation of ER.