[Determination of proliferation activity of prostate cancers by means of nuclear proliferation-associated formalin resistant Ki-S5 antigens].

In order to evaluate the growth fraction in normal, hyperplastic and neoplastic prostatic tissue, we examined paraffin sections of 55 cases of prostatic cancer containing areas of benign (BPH) and atypical hyperplasia (AH). Cellular proliferation was assessed by nuclear staining with the monoclonal antibody Ki-S5 directed against a formalin-resistant epitope of the Ki67 antigen. The proliferation rate was minimal in normal glands and BPH (mean 0.35%), rather low in AH and grade I carcinoma (0.5 to 15% compared to grade II carcinoma (1 to 40%) and peaking to near 80% labeled cells in grade III carcinoma. In the majority of the tumors, foci of increased cell growth could be detected by this method. Ki-S5 labeling indices correlated significantly with the histopathologic grading established by Dhom. Correlation with the clinical outcome will be the subject of subsequent retrospective studies.