PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN (PCNA) AND NUCLEOLAR ORGANIZER REGIONS IN HODGKINS-DISEASE - CORRELATION WITH MORPHOLOGY

Aim-To define the distribution of proliferating cell nuclear antigen ( PCNA) and silver staining nucleolar organiser regions (AgNORs) in Hodg kin's disease. Methods-PCNA was shown in a series of 34 cases of Hodgk in's disease using immunohistochemical methods. In a second series of 46 cases the AgNOR technique for interphase nucleolar organiser region s was studied. Both series comprised routinely fixed and processed par affin wax sections of three main Rye subtypes. Results-In all cases, r egardless of Rye subtype, most Sternberg-Reed cells and mononuclear Ho dgkin cells showed nuclear PCNA inimunoreactivity and such cells had 1 5 or more AgNOR sites. The Hodgkin cells had, in general, about half t he number of AgNORs seen in Sternberg-Reed variants. Conclusions-These data support the notion that Hodgkin's disease can be regarded as a h igh grade lymphoma, the, large Hodgkin's and Sternberg-Reed cells bein g the (PCNA positive and AgNOR rich) neoplastic elements with high pro liferative capacity. A smaller proportion of the associated cells also showed evidence of proliferation.