PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN EXPRESSION IN THE SURVIVAL OF ASTROCYTOMA PATIENTS

The PC10, a monoclonal antibody against proliferating cell nuclear ant igen (PCNA), is known to show immunoreactivity in routinely processed paraffin embedded tissue. This antibody was applied to 72 astrocytic t umours from surgical biopsy material obtained in a ten year period. Th e PCNA labelling index (LI) obtained by image analysis was compared wi th patient's survival, age at diagnosis, and Karnofsky score as well a s the histological grade of tumour. The survival analysis shows that p atients with tumour PCNA LI of more than 6% have significantly poorer prognosis than those with 6% and below. In addition, there is also goo d correlation between PCNA LI with age, Karnofsky and tumour grade. Th is study suggests that although the PCNA expression of astrocytoma cou ld be a useful predictor of patient's outcome, it is not an independen t prognostic factor but has derived its statistical association with s urvival secondarily through its relationship with tumour grade, age an d Karnofsky score.