PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN IN NEEDLE-BIOPSY SPECIMENS OF PROSTATIC-CARCINOMA

The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was immuno histochemically determined using a monoclonal antibody PC10 in 54 pros tatic carcinoma samples. The samples were taken from needle biopsy spe cimens which had been paraffin-embedded after routine fixation with 10 % formaldehyde solution (formalin) for less than 24 h. The PCNA index was calculated as the percentage of positive tumor cell nuclei. There was a significant difference in the PCNA index according to the growth pattern (p < 0.001), nuclear anaplasia (p < 0.001) and T stage (p < 0 .01). Regarding the growth pattern, solid carcinomas showed a signific antly higher PCNA index than did either separate gland carcinomas (p < 0.05) or trabecular/fused gland carcinomas (p < 0.05). The PCNA index correlated closely with either the nuclear anaplasia or T stage, and increased in conjunction with the increased nuclear anaplasia (r(s) = 0.641; p < 0.001) or T stage (r(s) = 0.435; p < 0.01). The patients in the high PCNA index(greater than or equal to 15%) group showed a sign ificantly worse survival than did those in the lower PCNA index group (p < 0.01), and multivariate analyses indicated that the PCNA index ha d an independent prognostic significance. These results suggest that t he PCNA index, as determined by PC 10 on needle biopsy specimens of pr ostatic carcinoma, can thus be an objective and quantitative means for evaluating the biological malignancy of prostatic carcinoma.