Proliferation and progesterone receptor status in benign meningiomas are not age dependent.
BACKGROUND
Some authors have suggested that the biology of meningiomas differs according to a patient's age. Proliferation, vascularity, and hormonal status in meningiomas can be used to describe changes during aging. In the current study, proliferation activity with the Ki-67/MIB-1 antibody was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in meningioma tissue specimens from young and elderly patients.


METHODS
Over the past 25 years, tissue samples from 1766 patients with meningiomas were evaluated. Of these, 588 tumor specimens from 554 patients who underwent surgery between 1990 and 2000 were evaluated immunohistochemically. The proliferation index (LI) and progesterone receptor (PR) in meningiomas were quantitatively estimated in elderly (age > or = 70 years) and young patients (age < 70 years). Patients' charts including surgical records, discharge letters, pathology reports, and imaging studies were reviewed. Correlations with histologic subtype, disease recurrence-free survival, resection grade, location, size, vascularity, and tumor calcification were calculated as well. Only patients with a well documented follow-up were included in the statistical evaluation (n = 385).


RESULTS
Compared with the young group of 344 patients with meningioma (age < 70 years; mean age, 51.9 years; range, 18-69 years), the elderly population (age > or = 70 years; n = 41; mean age, 74.9 years; range, 70-88 years) showed a male-to-female ratio of 3.2: 1. Both groups had an identical median Ki-67 LI of 3.0% and a PR status of 56.1% versus 58.4 %. No statistically significant differences in disease recurrence-free survival could be found in the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Proliferation rates and PR status in benign intracranial meningiomas did not appear to be age dependent.
Roser
Florian
F
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler Strasse 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. f.roser@gmx.de
Nakamura
Makoto
M
Ritz
Rainer
R
Bellinzona
Mattia
M
Dietz
Klaus
K
Samii
Madjid
M
Tatagiba
Marcos S
MS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008579:Meningioma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; C440408:MIB-1 antibody; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone