title: Variability in the proliferative potential of human gliomas.
abstract: One hundred forty-three patients with gliomas of astrocytic origin (61 with glioblastomas multiforme (GM) and 82 with astrocytomas) received an intravenous infusion of bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR), 150-200 mg/m2 at the time of surgery, to label tumor cells undergoing DNA synthesis. BUdR-labeled cells were identified by the indirect immunoperoxidase method using anti-BUdR monoclonal antibodies. The percentage of BUdR-labeled cells, or BUdR labeling index (LI), was calculated by microscopic examination of selected viable areas of the tissue sections. The GMs had a median LI of 7.5%, and three quarters of these tumors had LIs greater than 5%. Highly anaplastic astrocytomas (HAAs) and moderately anaplastic astrocytomas (MoAAs) had median LIs of 2.3% and less than 1%, respectively. Among the HAAs, the LI was 1% to 5% in 56% of tumors, greater than 5% in 26%, and less than 1% in 18%. More than 60% of MoAAs had LIs less than 1%, which agrees with the slow clinical progression of this type of tumor, and the remainder had LIs of 1.4% to 9.3%. These results show that histopathologically similar tumors may have different proliferative potentials. Measuring the proliferative potential of individual gliomas is therefore crucial for predicting the prognosis more accurately and for devising more tumor-specific treatment regimens for individual patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoshino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagashima
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Donegan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slusarz
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D002455:Cell Division; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D005910:Glioma / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007399:Interphase
chemical_list: D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine