Ms. Kirjushkina et al., BREAST-TUMOR DIAGNOSIS IN CYTOLOGIC ASPIRATES USING MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES TO KERATIN-8 AND KERATIN-17, Acta cytologica, 41(2), 1997, pp. 307-312
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of double immunostaining in the dif
ferential diagnosis of the benign vs. malignant nature of breast lesio
ns with fine needle aspiration results. STUDY DESIGN: The study group
consisted of 26 samples aspirated from patients with borderline breast
lesions. RESULTS: Direct immunostaining by means of monoclonal antibo
dies directed against individual intermediate filament proteins kerati
n 8 and 17 revealed that the percentage of K8(+)K17(+) cells in materi
al from patients with fibrocystic disease and fibroadenoma significant
ly exceeded that found in carcinoma specimens. The diagnoses were conf
irmed histologically. CONCLUSION: The quantitative method applied in t
he analysis of double-immunostained cytologic aspirates is recommended
for the differential diagnosis of the benign vs. malignant nature of
breast lesions in borderline cases.