Metallothionein as an epithelial proliferative compartment marker for DNA flow cytometry.

The antibody to the metal-binding low molecular weight protein metallothionein (MT) stains preferentially the proliferative edge of epithelial tumors in paraffin sections. The present report demonstrates its usefulness as an epithelial cell marker in DNA flow cytometry of archival specimens. Nine control breast (mammoplasty) specimens, 10 control colonic specimens (resection edges), 12 adenocarcinomas of breast, and 13 adenocarcinomas of colon were analyzed by DNA flow cytometry after MT and DNA staining. The average percentage of cells stained by MT ranged from 12% to 27% in these groups of specimens, which contain epithelial as well as stromal and inflammatory cells. Comparing cell turnover, measured as S-phase fraction (SPF) in unstained and MT-stained preparations, it was 10% and 20%, respectively, in control tissues and 10% and 30%, respectively, in adenocarcinomas. The SPF is lower in unstained preparations because of dilution by noncycling inflammatory and stromal cells. Immunohistochemical staining of various tissues for MT showed specific staining of epithelial cells. Evaluation of aneuploid malignant epithelial cells detected in six breast and eight colonic adenocarcinomas showed that on average, 47% of cells were stained with MT and that their SPF increased by about 50% when MT staining was compared with the unstained preparations. The results suggest that MT stains epithelial cells adequately for ploidy and cell cycle evaluation and that it may stain preferentially the proliferating cell compartment, which is considered to be an index of malignancy.