Immunohistochemical Analysis of Cell Proliferation in Gliomas using Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunostaining of 46 gliomas was carried out. Their PCNA labeling indices (Lis) of 18 cases with multiform glioblastoma, 14 cases with anaplastic astrocytoma and 14 cases with astrocytoma were 26.2±2.0% (mean ± standard error), 10.7 ± 1.7% and 5.1 ± 0.7%, respectively. The PCNA Lis were related to the histopathological malignancy. The clinical prognosis was assessed in 42 patients. Those with a PCNA LI less than 10% had a better prognosis than those with a PCNA LI of 10% or more. The proloferative potential of the vascular components in glioma was higher than that of vessels of the normal brain, but lower than that of tumor cells. Therefore, the high proloferative potential of the vascular components in glioma is unlikely to be due to neoplastic transformation, but an angiogenetic factor in the tumor. Immunostaining of PUNA is a simple and reproducible method for estimating the proliferative potential of gliomas and prognosis of patients with them.

Monoclonal antibody

Evolutionary conserved antigen

Thymocytes

Brain

Immunocytochemistry