Analysis of the Ki-67 antigen at the invasive tumour front of human oral squamous cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
It is hypothesised that cell proliferation, as measured by the Ki-67 labelling index (LI) at the invasive tumour front (ITF) was directly related to the histological grade in human oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs).


METHODS
Tissues from 42 human oral SCCs were collected and stained with an antibody directed against the Ki-67 antigen using an advanced polymer staining system. Quantitation of the immunopositive cells was performed on two parallel sections at the invasive tumour front (ITF), using an image analyser. The Ki-67 LI was expressed as the number of positive nuclei/mm2 of epithelium. The control tissue used was normal epithelium at the excision margin.


RESULTS
The mean Ki-67 LI for oral SCCs at the ITF was significantly greater than that for the excision margin tissue (P < 0.0001). There was a positive association between increasing Ki-67 LI and increasing Broders' grade (P < 0.05), with a well-differentiated tumour having the lowest mean Ki-67 LI (1549 +/- 806) and a poorly differentiated tumour having the highest value (2232 +/- 771). A similar trend was observed between the mean Ki-67 LI and Bryne's multifactorial grading system.


CONCLUSIONS
It was concluded from this study that cell proliferation (as measured by the Ki-67 antigen) at the ITF had a strong positive relationship with histological grading in human oral SCC.
Tumuluri
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The Queen Elizabeth II Research Institute for Mothers and Infants, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Australia. s4005039@student.uq.edu.au
Thomas
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GA
Fraser
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IS
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen