Article Text

Download PDFPDF
Validation of tissue microarray technology in endometrioid cancer of the endometrium
  1. Guus Fons1,
  2. Siti M Hasibuan2,
  3. Jacobus van der Velden1,
  4. Fiebo J W ten Kate3
  1. 1Academic Medical Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  2. 2Dr Pirngadi Hospital, Department of Anatomical Pathology, Medan, Indonesia
  3. 3Academic Medical Centre, Department of Pathology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr G Fons
 Academic Medical Centre Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Meibergdreef 9 1100 DD Amsterdam The Netherlands;g.fons{at}amc.uva.nl

Abstract

Aim: To validate tissue microarray (TMA) for endometrial cancer by comparing immunohistochemical staining results of triplicate core biopsies on TMA with the results of full-section analysis.

Methods: The study material consisted of slides and selected tissue blocks of 41 patients with endometrioid cancer of the endometrium. A TMA was constructed. Both the TMA and the slides were stained with the same antibodies against progesterone receptor (PR), oestrogen receptor, p53 and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). Concordance between results was expressed as the κ statistic.

Results: Concordance between the staining results of TMA and whole slides was good for PR (κ = 0.69), oestrogen receptor (κ = 0.78), p53 (κ = 0.81) and EMA (κ = 0.72). Concordance between the results on TMA and slides depends on the number of assessable cores per tumour. Three assessable cores per case result in outcomes that are at least 94% similar to those achieved using conventional tissue sections with a two-class scoring system. This is independent of focal or diffuse staining patterns.

Conclusion: TMA is a useful tool for further analysis of the molecular pathways in endometrial cancer. The effect of selection has to be taken into account when the prognostic value of protein expression on TMA is determined.

  • EMA, epithelial membrane antigen
  • PR, progesterone receptor
  • TMA, tissue microarray

Statistics from Altmetric.com

Request Permissions

If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

Footnotes

  • Published Online First 5 July 2006

  • Competing interests: None declared.