Clinicopathological evaluation of immunohistochemical Ki-67 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in intracranial ependymoma.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the association between Ki-67 and eNOS expression with the pathological grades of patients with intracranial ependymomas, and to determine its value in distinguishing the progression of the disease.


METHODS
A clinicopathological study was undertaken in 82 patients with intracranial ependymomas. Tissue samples, obtained by tumour resection, were divided into three groups: low-grade, mid-grade and high-grade ependymomas. Tissue samples obtained from 15 patients with brain contusion were used as control. Immuno-histochemical staining was performed to analyze the association between Ki-67 and eNOS expression with various tumour grades. The cell proliferating marker Ki-67 was assessed by positive cell count. The levels of eNOS positive expression were evaluated as slight, moderate and intense.


RESULTS
48 of 82 cases (58.54%) expressed Ki-67 protein. Expression of Ki-67 and eNOS was negative in all control samples. Positive cell rates were 2.65+/-0.83 % in the low-grade, 9.63+/-0.08 % in the mid-grade, and 28.41+/-0.71 % in the high-grade ependymoma groups. In low-grade ependymomas there were 8 and 12 cases that expressed eNOS slightly or moderately. In the mid-grade ependymoma group eNOS was expressed moderately in 10 cases and intensely in 15. In the high-grade group 20 cases showed intense positive expression of eNOS. The Ki-67 positive cell counts for slight, moderate and intense eNOS expression were 2.20, 6.07 and 22.25, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Ki-67 and eNOS expression in intracranial ependymoma tissue was associated with the histopathological grade and malignant degree.
Yan
Xuetao
X
Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
Cheng
Xiaoli
X
Liu
Juyin
J
Luo
Dongqin
D
He
Xianghu
X
Chen
Feng
F
Qin
Chengming
C
Wang
Yanlin
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III