EVALUATION OF ARGYROPHILIC NUCLEOLAR ORGANIZER REGION AND PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN IN COLORECTAL-CANCER

Background and Objectives: Information on cellular proliferation is ga ining importance for predicting prognosis in several cancers. To clari fy the clinicopathological significance of argyrophilic nucleolar orga nizer region (AgNOR), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and D NA ploidy pattern, we studied their correlations with clinicopathologi cal factors in colorectal cancer. Methods: Fifty-two patients with col orectal cancer were examined by AgNOR staining, immunohistochemical st udy of PCNA expression, and DNA flow cytometry. Results: The AgNOR sco re and the PCNA labeling rate (PCNA LR) were significantly higher in p atients with deep invasion if = 0.0072, P = 0.0355), liver metastasis (P = 0.0022, P = 0.0001), and Dukes D classification (P = 0.0002, P = 0.0001) than in patients without these factors. In patients with high AgNOR score (>3.83) or with high PCNA LR (>48.8), prognosis was signif icant-ly worse (P = 0.0002, P = 0.0123) than in those with low AgNOR s core (<3.83) or in those with low PCNA LR (<48.8), respectively. No si gnificant association was observed between AgNOR score and PCNA LR, Co mbined analysis revealed that tho survival curve for patients with hig h AgNOR score and high PCNA LR was significantly lower (P = 0.0156) th an that fut patients with high AgNOR score and low PCNA LR, There was no significant correlation between DNA ploidy pattern and clinicopatho logical findings. Conclusions: PCNA LR and AgNOR score were correlated not only with local progression but also with metastasis. Their deter mination provided useful prognostic information, and these parameters are probably independent. Their simultaneous determination was useful for accurate evaluation of prognosis. The value of DNA ploidy pattern was uncertain. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.