Assay of functional ER and breast cancer micrometastasis in axillary lymph nodes

Objective This study is to evaluate the assay of functional ER by DNA binding analysis and clinical application of RT-PCR for detection of breast cancer micrometastasis to axillary lymph nodes. Methods Protein and total RNA extracted from primary breast cancer and axillary lymph nodes was subjected to perform the gel shift binding analysis and RT-PCT amplifying the Keratin19 fragments respectively. The functional condition of ER was estimated by gel shift binding analysis results combined with hormone bind...