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Estrogen receptor (ER) and progestin receptor (PR) levels in the myometria and uterine leiomyomata of forty-four women were studied. A radio-ligand method and an immuno-enzymatic method were used for ER measurement, and only a radio-ligand method was used for PR measurement. The leiomyomata contained significantly more PR and estrogen-binding ER than their parental myometria but not the immunoreactive ER per mg of DNA. Nuclear extracts from the myometria contained a high amount of the estrogen-nonbinding immunoreactive ER; in the leiomyomata, the bulk of this particular ER fraction was extracted with cytosol. Dissimilar distribution patterns of immunoreactive, estrogen-nonbinding ER in leiomyomata and normal myometria suggest that an impaired metabolism of ER may contribute to myoma growth.

IgA, IgG, IgM and IgE were studied in 61 carcinomas, 24 tissues peripheral to carcinomas, 16 benign neoplasms and 15 dysplasias of the breast. Mono- and double-layer direct immunofluorescence procedures applying FITC- and TRITC-conjugated antisera were used on cryostat and paraffin sections for evaluation of immunoglobulins in plasma cells, cancer cells and ductal epithelium. Plasma cells of all Ig classes were more frequent in carcinomas, especially of medullary and poorly differentiated ductal types, than in benign lesions. In all groups of benign lesions and in carcinomas with scanty lymphocytes and plasma cells there was a predominance of IgA-synthesizing plasma cells. Carcinomas with marked local response had an increased proportion of IgG cells. IgE plasma cells were rare. IgA and IgM were more frequent in ductal epithelium than in cancer cells, especially of poorly differentiated tumors. No appreciable IgG was observed in ductal or cancer cells. Our results indicate a correlation between immunohistologic patterns of immunoglobulins and histologic characteristics of carcinomas.

Fibrillar proteins with a role in cellular shape and motility are present in the cytoplasm of most animal cells. They vary greatly in size, organization, and reactivity according to cell type and can be separately identified by the use of recently developed monospecific antisera and indirect immunofluorescence staining. Prekeratin, a structural protein in the form of intermediate sized filaments is present exclusively in cells of epithelial origin. In the present study 41 human tumors of various organs and their normal tissue counterparts were reacted with prekeratin antiserum and examined by immunofluorescence staining in paraffin embedded sections. Prekeratin was identified in all epithelial cells of the squamous type, which gave the strongest staining reaction, and in smaller amounts in epithelial cells of other histologic types. Cells of lymphoid, melanic, neural, and connective tissue origin were not stained. Thus, combining the specificity of antiprekeratin sera with the selectivity of immunofluorescence staining resulted in a new method of identifying tissues that is applicable to the differential diagnosis of tumors.