HEPATIC REGENERATION IN HUMANS WITH VARIOUS LIVER-DISEASE AS ASSESSEDBY KI-67 STAINING OF FORMALIN-FIXED PARAFFIN-EMBEDDED LIVER-TISSUE

The ability to document nuclear proliferation in the liver is essentia l to our understanding of hepatic regeneration and hepatocellular carc inoma. While numerous tests are available to provide such information in experimental animals, few can be applied to patients with liver dis ease. Ki-67 is a proliferating nuclear antigen present in replicating, cells. Recent data indicates that staining for Ki-67 reflects nuclear proliferation in these tissues. To date, the technique has had only l imited application to human liver tissues in formalin-fixed paraffin e mbedded tissue. In the present study, we documented Ki-67 staining in archival liver tissue from patients with mild chronic hepatitis, sever e chronic hepatitis, inactive cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and in normal livers. We found that Ki-67 staining was increased in patie nts with mild chronic hepatitis (labelling index 29+/-25), severe chro nic hepatitis (labelling index 41+/-40), and hepatocellular carcinoma (labelling index 71+/-61), when compared to patients with inactive cir rhosis, (labelling index 1.4+/-3.1), and normal livers (labelling inde x 2.5+/-3.2). In conclusion, Ki-67 maybe a useful tool to assess hepat ocyte proliferation in formalin-fu;ed paraffin-embedded human liver ti ssue.