Background: Immunohistochemical study of proliferating cells in normal or neoplastic tissues has its advantages over other methods in understanding cell kinetic information. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunolocalization in paraffin section was reported as an index for cellular proliferation and well-correlated with the histopathological grading of certain systemic malignancies.
Methods: By using immunohistochemical staining of PCNA on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections, the anti-PCNA monoclonal antibody (PC10) staining scores were counted in 32 intracranial gliomas and 32 intracranial meningiomas.
Results: The PC10 scores ranged from 7.8% to 24.1% (m = 15.7 +/- 4.5%) in 12 anaplastic astrocytomas, and from 15.1% to 51.3% (m = 38.4 +/- 11.7%) in 9 glioblastomas. The difference in between was significant. The mean PC10 scores of benign meningiomas, malignant meningiomas, and hemangiopericytomas were 13.8%, 50.2%, and 50.8% respectively. The difference of PC10 scores was also significant between benign and malignant meningioma, as well as between benign meningioma and hemangiopericytoma.
Conclusions: The PC10 scores have a good correlation with the histopathological grading of both intracranial glioma and meningioma.