Percentage of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive Reed-Sternberg cells in nodular sclerosis Hodgkin's disease.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA/cyclin) is a useful marker of proliferation and its expression correlates with prognosis in some human neoplasms. The clinical course of nodular sclerosis Hodgkin's disease (NSHD) varies in both grades (NSI, NSII) as defined by the British National Lymphoma Investigation. Expression of PCNA in Reed-Sternberg cells and their variants was evaluated in NSI and NSII. There were no significant differences in the ratio of PCNA-positive cells in both groups. The results suggest that differences in the clinical course do not depend on the proliferative rate of Reed-Sternberg cells and their variants in NSHD.