Diagnostic value of Ki-67LI in hepatocellular carcinoma; Ki-67 antigen expression in hepatocellular carcinoma, metastatic adenocarcinoma and normal hepatocytes

Abstract

One hundred liver fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) specimens obtained from 42 patients with hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), 38 patients with metastatic adenocarcinomas (MAC) and 20 patients with non-malignant liver disease (control group) were studied. Liver specimens were stained with an immunoperoxidase method using a monoclonal antibody to Ki-67 (MIB1). Ki-67 antigen was visualised in cold acetone, and a fresh liver needle aspiration cytology specimen using antibodies was used to identify proliferating hepatocytes. In this study it was examined that; if there is a difference between the groups in terms of Ki-67 positivity and degree of differentiation of tumor and the relationship there in. The Ki-67 labeling index (LI) of HCC cases was significantly different from the other two groups (p < 0.01). In additions, the numbers of hepatocytes positive for Ki-67 has a good correlation with the degree of differentiation of HCC (t = 2.96, p < 0.01).