title: Proliferating cell nuclear antigen in prostatic adenocarcinoma: correlation with established prognostic indicators.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The utility of an antibody to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a growth-specific nuclear protein, was assessed as a prognostic variable for prostatic adenocarcinoma. Its expression was correlated with established prognostic indicators, including tumor grade, stage, prostatic-specific antigen (PSA), and percent of tumor in the gland at excision.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty archival needle biopsies containing a minimum of four hundred tumor cells were analyzed. Immunoperoxidase staining of paraffin sections was performed for PCNA (PC10) after pretreatment in antigen retrieval solution. A proliferative index (PI) for each case was derived using image analysis with measurement of at least four hundred twenty-five nuclei.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PI values ranged from 2.4 to 31.3 percent. Mean PI values varied significantly (ANOVA, p = 0.005) among cases with dominant Gleason grade (DGG) of 3 (mean PI = 9.3%), 4 (mean PI = 13.7%), and 5 (mean PI = 18.8%). By t test, significant differences were noted for PI in cases with DGG 2 and 3 versus those with DGG 4 and 5 (p = 0.0065). PI for cases with DGG 3 versus 5 showed significant difference (p = 0.0017). Tumors of Gleason scores 5 to 7 differed significantly from those with scores 8 to 10 (p = 0.014). A statistical relationship for PI and PSA, clinical stage, and percent tumor at resection could not be established by linear regression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that additional study of the PI, as determined by PCNA immunohistochemistry and image analysis, may be warranted to determine its usefulness as an adjunctive parameter in prostate adenocarcinoma. This technique may be particularly useful in needle biopsies where limited tumor may render assessment of grade difficult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Markey Cancer Center, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Spires
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Davey
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cibull
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011379:Prognosis; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D011467:Prostate / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen