High Ki67 expression is an independent good prognostic marker in colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To correlate Ki67 expression with outcome in colorectal cancer (CRC).


METHODS
Ki67 labelling index (Ki67LI) was analysed by immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray containing 1800 CRCs. The results were compared with clinicopathological and molecular parameters.


RESULTS
Ki67LI was considered low in 26.3%, moderate in 56.7% and high in 17.0% of 1653 interpretable CRCs. High Ki67 expression was associated with low tumour stage (p<0.0001) and nodal status (p=0.0315), but not with tumour grade (p=0.8639), histological tumour type (p=0.1542) or tumour localisation, and was an independent prognosticator of favourable survival (p=0.0121). High Ki67 expression was also significantly associated with high-level nuclear β-catenin and p53 expression (p<0.0001 and p=0.0095, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
In summary, our data show that high Ki67 expression in CRCs is associated with good clinical outcome. Ki67, p53 and β-catenin overexpression seem to be linked to CRC, and indicate a cellular state of high proliferative activity. Finally, our findings strongly argue for a clinical utility of Ki67 immunostaining as an independent prognostic biomarker in CRC.
Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Nathaniel
N
Melling
Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Charlotte Marie
CM
Kowitz
Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Ronald
R
Simon
Department of Oncology, Hematology, BMT with section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Carsten
C
Bokemeyer
Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Luigi
L
Terracciano
Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Guido
G
Sauter
Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Jakob Robert
JR
Izbicki
Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Andreas Holger
AH
Marx
D000368:Aged; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D013997:Time Factors; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis; D015854:Up-Regulation; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000032:analysis
C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051176:beta Catenin
ANTIBODIES; CANCER RESEARCH; COLORECTAL CANCER; KI 67; MOLECULAR PATHOLOGY