PRELIMINARY OBSERVATION ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN NM23 EXPRESSION AND KI-67 ANTIGEN WITH EARLY METASTASIS OF HUMAN OSTEOSARCOMA

Objectives To detect the nm23 expression in osteosarcoma, analyze the correlation between nm23 expression and early metastasis and to study the relation between nm23 expression with tumor differentiation and ce ll proliferation, as defined by Ki-67 labeling. Methods nm23 oncoprote in expression was measured by immunohistochemical staining using forma lin fixed, paraffin embedded sections of 39 surgically resected osteos arcomas and was compared with Ki-67 expression, histological findings and early metastasis. In each sample, the grading of immunoreactivity was recorded as 0, 1 +, 2 + according to the percentage of nm23 and Ki -67 labeling cells respectively. Results The cases with more than 25% positive immunoreactivity of nm23 protein were detected in 48.7% of th e total cases. There was no statistical difference between nm23 expres sion and early metastasis, but the cases with nm23 expression appeared to have a trend to get early metastasis. nm23 expression was signific antly correlated with Ki-67 expression, which was associated with diff erentiation of the tumor cells. Conclusion The role of nm23 as a tumor metastasis suppressor in osteosarcoma is less prominent. Both nm23 an d Ki-67 may help predict the possibility of early metastasis in human osteosarcomas.