EXPRESSION OF PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN IN AMELOBLASTOMAS AND ODONTOGENIC CYSTS

The identification of the proliferative activity in tumours may be use ful to predict the biological behaviour of different lesions. Prolifer ating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) has been used for the evaluation of the proliferative ability of many lesions. In this study 22 ameloblast omas (4 follicular, 5 plexiform, 4 acanthomatous, 5 unicystic, 3 recur rent), 12 odontogenic keratocysts (OKC), 8 dentigerous cysts (DC), and 12 radicular cysts (RC) were analysed. PCNA+ cells were present in al l cyst types but the OKC contained the highest number of PCNA + cells. In OKC the location of PCNA + cells was mainly suprabasal. In amelobl astoma PCNA+ cells were located mainly in the peripheral portion of th e tumour islands. Statistical analysis showed that ameloblastoma had h igher PCNA + cell counts than OKC (P < 0.0001); OKC had higher values than DC and RC (P < 0.0001). Recurrent ameloblastoma presented higher PCNA + cell counts than other types of ameloblastoma, while unicystic ameloblastoma showed lower values than acanthomatous, plexiform and fo llicular ameloblastomas tin this latter case the difference was not st atistically significant). These data could help to explain the differe nt biological behaviour of these lesions. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Lt d. All rights reserved.