Ki-67 expression in patients with uterine leiomyomas, uterine smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) and uterine leiomyosarcomas (LMS).
BACKGROUND
The aim of the current study was to evaluate the expression of Ki-67 in uterine smooth muscle tumors, comparing leiomyomas, uterine smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) and uterine leiomyosarcomas (LMS) and to prove the accuracy of a Ki-67 expression as a useful parameter in the diagnosis of LMS.


METHODS
Ki-67 was assessed using immunohistochemistry from paraffin-embedded tissue in 20 patients with uterine LMS, 22 cases of STUMP and 25 cases of leiomyomas.


RESULTS
Ki-67 was present in 10/20 (50%) LMS, in 0/22 (0%) STUMP and in 2/25 (8%) leiomyomas. Significant differences regarding the frequency of Ki-67 expression were observed between LMS and STUMP (p = 0.0001) as well as between LMS and leiomyomas (p = 0.002), but not between STUMP and leiomyomas (p = 0.491). Likewise, the staining intensity differed significantly between LMS and leiomyomas (p = 0.018) as well as between LMS and STUMP (p = 0.002), but not between STUMP and leiomyomas (p = 0.368).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrate that the significantly elevated Ki-67 antigen expression in LMS, which correlates well with the rapid growth of these malignant tumors, may be a useful immunohistochemical parameter to distinguish between cases of malignant smooth muscle tumors and those of uncertain or borderline histology.
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Vienna Medical School, Austria. klaus.mayerhofer@akh-wien.ac.at
Klaus
K
Mayerhofer
Plamen
P
Lozanov
Klaus
K
Bodner
Barbara
B
Bodner-Adler
Oliver
O
Kimberger
Klaus
K
Czerwenka
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009379:Neoplasms, Muscle Tissue / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018235:Smooth Muscle Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen