PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN EXPRESSION IN THE GALLBLADDER WITHPANCREATICOBILIARY MALJUNCTION

Background and Objective: To clarify the histogenesis of cancer of the gallbladder of the patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBMJ ), the proliferating cell activity of the epithelium of gallbladder wa s examined. Methods: A total of 21 patients with pancreaticobiliary ma ljunction [8 with gallbladder cancer (MCA group) and 13 without cancer (M group)] were studied using immunohistochemical staining with a mon oclonal antibody to the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The 23 gallbladder cancer patients without PBMJ (CA group) and 10 patient s with normal gallbladders (N group) were also examined as controls. R esults: The PCNA-positive rates of non-cancerous epithelium of the gal lbladder in patients with PBMJ (14.2% in MCA group and 11.6% in M grou p) were significantly higher than those without PBMJ (3.9% in CA group and 1.5% in N group). Conclusion: The high proliferating cell activit y of epithelium of the gallbladder may be an explanation for the high incidence of gallbladder cancer in patients with pancreaticobiliary ma ljunction. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.