Proliferative activity and apoptosis of Langerhans histiocytes in eosinophilic granulomas as evaluated by MIB-1 and TUNEL methods.
Aims-To identify the role played by apoptosis in tumour regression.Methods-The growth fraction and apoptotic cell loss of four cases of eosinophilic granuloma were investigated using monoclonal antibodies against Ki-67 proliferation marker (MIB-1) antigen and the TdT mediated dUTP-biotin 3'-OH nick end labelling (TUNEL) method. These data were then compared with the clinical growth rate.Results-Only the Langerhans histiocytic cells, which reacted positively with anti-S-100 protein antibody, were immunolabelled with antibodies to proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki-67 antigen (MIB-1). Many apoptotic figures of histiocytic cells were also detected in all cases by the TUNEL method. In a patient whose tumour clinically showed spontaneous regression, the TUNEL staining index gave a higher score than the MIB-1 staining index.Conclusions-The main cause of the spontaneous regression of the tumours was postulated to be programmed cell death (apoptosis).
Hamada
Y
Y
Department of Neuropathology, Neurological Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University 60, Maidashi 3-1-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-82, Japan.
Iwaki
T
T
Fukui
M
M
Tateishi
J
J