Ki-67 immunoreactivity, basic fibroblastic growth factor (bFGF) expression, and microvessel density as supplementary prognostic tools in low-grade astrocytomas. An immunohistochemical study with special reference to the reliability of different Ki-67 antibodies.

Low-grade diffuse astrocytomas are generally slow-growing tumors; however, they may progress to anaplastic astrocytomas or glioblastomas. As existing grading systems fail to distinguish these tumors, ongoing research strives to identify new prognostic markers. In this study, 22 adult patients with supratentorial diffuse astrocytomas, WHO grade II, were investigated to clarify whether proliferative activity, assessed by different Ki67 antibodies (MIB-1, NC-MM1, NC-Ki67p, rahKi67), expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) or microvessel density have prognostic power. The Ki67 antibodies revealed low proliferation indices (PI); however, there was a wide spread of values, ranging from 0.1% to about 10%. In general, a positive correlation between the different Ki67 PIs was found. In 12 of 22 cases, bFGF immunoreactivity was recorded. Microvessel density was generally low. MIB-1 PI was the only prognostic factor of statistical significance. Ki67 PI, obtained by using the monoclonal antibody MIB-1, can thus serve as a prognostic factor capable of identifying subsets of low-grade diffuse astrocytomas with a potentially more aggressive clinical behavior.