ANALYSIS OF PROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITY USING ANTIPROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN-ANTIBODY IN COLORECTAL-CANCER

Using anti-PCNA antibody (PC10), an immunohistochemical study of the e xpression of PCNA in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded materials of colorectal cancer patients was performed and correlation of PCNA expr ession with clinicopathological findings and DNA ploidy pattern was st udied. PCNA labeling rate (PCNA LR) was estimated in the advancing mar gin of the tumor and ranged from 23.8% to 77.9%. There was a significa nt difference in lymphatic vessel invasion, liver metastasis and Dukes ' stage between the groups with high (> 48.7) and low (< 48.7) PCNA LR (P < 0.05). No differences were seen in tumor size, histological type , lymphnode metastasis or DNA ploidy pattern. In patients with younger age, infiltration to neighboring organs, a high degree of venous inva sion, and peritoneal dissemination, the frequency of high PCNA LR tend ed to be higher (P < 0.1). The results above suggest that a high proli ferative activity as defined by evaluation of the PCNA LR at the advan cing margin of the tumor may be one of the parameters of malignant pot ential and helpful as a predictor of liver metastasis in colorectal ca ncer. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.