Proliferative activity of cutaneous melanocytic tumors defined by Ki-67 monoclonal antibody. A quantitative immunohistochemical study.
In various tumors, proliferative activity has been demonstrated to be closely related to the degree of malignancy. In the present study, we examined the proliferative pool in a total of 25 melanocytic (nevocytic) skin tumors by immunohistochemical staining with Ki 67 monoclonal antibody (labeling the G1, S, G2-phase of the cell cycle) and quantitative morphological evaluation. There were highly significant differences in the numerical density of Ki 67-positive cells between nevocellular nevi (number of positive cells: 2.2 +/- 0.7 X 10(3)/mm3), primary malignant melanoma (6.3 +/- 1.9 X 10(3)/mm3), and metastatic malignant melanoma (47.0 +/- 9.2 X 10(3)/mm3). Within the malignant melanoma group, there was a significant correlation between proliferative activity and maximum tumor thickness (r = 0.85; p less than 0.05). Comparison with previous studies using tritiated thymidine labeling and colony-forming efficiency shows that the stereological evaluation of Ki 67 staining in melanocytic skin tumors provides a reliable estimate of proliferative activity, which might be of prognostic value.
Department of Dermatology, University of Graz, Austria.
J
J
Smolle
H P
HP
Soyer
H
H
Kerl
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000032:analysis*; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000032:analysis / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis / Q000473:pathology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal