EVALUATION OF KI-67 MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY AS PROGNOSTIC INDICATOR FOR PROSTATIC-CARCINOMA

Prostate tissue containing either primary adenocarcinoma (45 patients) or benign hyperplasia (15 patients) was immunostained with the monocl onal antibody Ki-67, which recognises a human nuclear antigen expresse d by human cycling cells. The percentage of cells staining positive wa s considered a measure of proliferation. This derived Ki-67 index was higher for carcinomas than for hyperplastic glands. Within the group o f carcinomas, Ki-67 indices in patients with metastatic disease were s ignificantly higher than in those without and there was a trend toward s increasing Ki-67 indices with increasing Gleason grade. When patient s with prostate cancer were prospectively followed up, the Ki-67 index did not predict either disease progression or hormone responsiveness. Ki-67 immunostaining may define a group of patients with prostate can cer of poor prognosis.