Expression of Ki-67 nuclear antigen in B and T cell lymphoproliferative disorders.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the proliferation rates of tumour cells may relate to prognosis and reflect disease activity.


METHODS
Blood mononuclear cells from 155 patients with B cell (n = 120) or T cell (n = 35) chronic lymphoproliferative disorders were tested with the monoclonal antibody Ki-67 by indirect immunoperoxidase or immunoalkaline phosphatase techniques. B cell diseases included chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), CLL in prolymphocytic transformation (CLL/PL), prolymphocytic leukaemia (B-PLL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) in leukaemic phase. The T cell diseases comprised large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukaemia, T-PLL, and T-NHL.


RESULTS
These showed significantly higher proportions of Ki-67 positive cells in T cell (11.2%) than in B cell (2.9%) disorders (p < 0.001). The highest values were found in NHL of both B and T cell types, particularly when low grade disease transformed to high grade. The lowest percentages of Ki-67 positive cells were found in CLL (1.4%) and LGL leukaemia (1.7%); intermediate values were seen in B PLL (3.3%) and T PLL (5.8%).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a positive correlation between prognosis and proliferation rates in chronic B and T cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Estimation of Ki-67 in circulating leukaemic cells could be used to determine prognosis in low grade malignancies.
de Melo
N
N
Academic Department of Haematology and Cytogenetics, Royal Marsden Hospital, London.
Matutes
E
E
Cordone
I
I
Morilla
R
R
Catovksy
D
D
D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D015448:Leukemia, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000276:immunology; D015463:Leukemia, Prolymphocytic / Q000276:immunology; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000276:immunology; D008938:Mitosis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011379:Prognosis
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009687:Nuclear Proteins