Pathologic significance of proliferative activity and oncoprotein expression in astrocytic tumors.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the clinicopathologic significance of immunohistochemistry for proliferative activity and oncoprotein expression in astrocytic tumors.


METHODS
Ninety-seven cases of brain astrocytic tumors with histologic grading and follow-up data were investigated with immunohistochemistry and image analyzer to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), silver-binding nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) and several oncoproteins.


RESULTS
PCNA was significantly related to AgNORs, grading and prognosis of astrocytomas. The frequency of mutant p53 protein expression was higher in grade 2-4 astrocytomas than in grade 1. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) (37.1%), EGF receptor (83.5%) and p21ras (42.3%) expression levels were related to neither the grade nor prognosis of the tumors. The positive ratios of p53 antibodies were higher in grades 2-4 than in grade 1, and the intensities correlated with PCNA but not with prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Aberrations of c-erbB-2, p21ras, EGF and EGF receptor might be early events in the initiation and progression of astrocytomas, whereas p53 overexpression is involved in all the stages. Immunohistochemical detection had no prognostic value. PCNA could be important to the evaluation of astrocytoma malignancy.
Bian
X W
XW
Institute of Pathology, Southwestern Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing City, People's Republic of China. bianxiuwu@263.net
Shi
J Q
JQ
Liu
F X
FX
D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016158:Genes, p53; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011379:Prognosis; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
D066246:ErbB Receptors; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C501009:HRAS protein, human