A Study Using Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen and Argyrophilic Nucleolar Organizer Regions on Cases of Colorectal Cancer

Takeshi Marumori, Masatoshi Kawamura, Kouichi Takamura, Nobuo Komatsu, Naokuni Yasuda, Hidefumi Tsushima, Tohru Sato, Takashi Yokokawa, Akira Tsunoda, Miki Shibusawa, Kazushige Arai, Mitsuo Kusano

Department of Surgery, Showa University, School of Medicine

Immunohistochemical staining of PCNA was performed on paraffinembedded sections of 52 colorectal cancers, and the fixation time of the specimens and clinicopathological variables were compared. Staining of AgNORs was also evaluated in the same specimens. When the fixation time of the specimens by masked formalin was set at 4, 12, 24 and 48 hours in the advanced part of cancer, the labeling index of PCNA decreased with time and 4 hours of fixation was significantly higher. When sites in normal mucosa and advanced and central parts of cancer were examined, the labeling index of PCNA was the highest in advanced part of cancer. With regard to clinicopathological factors, significant differences between PCNA and AgNORs were noted. It was concluded that PCNA seems to reflect the cell proliferating activity in cancer as well as AgNORs.

Key words
proliferating cell nuclear antigen, argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions, colorectal cancer

Reprint requests
Takeshi Marumori Department of Surgery, Showa University, School of Medicine
1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142 JAPAN

Accepted
January 11, 1995

To read the PDF file you will need Abobe Reader installed on your computer.