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Vol.37 No.6 contents | Japanese/English |
- Original Article -
Proliferative Pattern of Cancer Cells in the Fibroelastic Foci within Primary Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma
Mitsunobu Tamura, Kenzo Hiroshima, Tetsuya Toyozaki, Hiromasa Kohno, Koichiro Shimada* and Hidemi OhwadaDivision of Pathology, Institute of Pulmonary Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Chiba University, *Department of Thoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, Dokkyo University
Proliferative pattern of cancer cells in 56 primary lung carcinomas (papillary adenocarcinoma) was assessed by immunostaining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and silver staining of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs). Invasiveness of the carcinomas was assessed by immunostaining of cathepsin B. They were divided into three groups according to the proliferative pattern of cancer cells in the fibroelastic foci. Carcinomas which proliferate with many cancer nests in the fibrotic foci were classified as group H, and carcinomas in which cancer cells were hardly observed in the fibrotic foci as group L. In group M, cancer cells were observed in the degree between group H and group L. Carcinomas whose the diameters of which were greater than 3 centimeters, or those which had lymph node metastasis or pleural invasion tended to be classified as group H. Mean AgNORs counts were 4.6±1.1 in group H, 4.5±0.9 in group M, 4.2±1.1 in group L. PCNA labeling index (L.I) was 69.4±9.8 in group H, 58.9±12.9 in group M, 51.1±7.6 in group L. The difference of L.I. between group H and group M, and between group H and group L was statistically significant. Degree of expression of Cathepsin B was high in group H, moderate in group M, and low in group L. we conclude that the proliferating pattern of cancer cells in the fibrotic foci is a good indicator of the proliferation and invasiveness of pulmonary adenocarcinomas.
key words: Pulmonary adenocarcinoma, Fibroelastosis, Argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs), Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Cathepsin B
Received: June 24, 1997
Accepted: August 26, 1997
JJLC 37 (6): 867-876, 1997
