Dalquen P, Baschiera B, Chaffard R, Dieterich H, Feichter G E, Krmer K, Torhorst J
Institute for Pathology, University of Basel, Switzerland.
Acta Cytol. 1997 Mar-Apr;41(2):229-37. doi: 10.1159/000332448.
The reliability of immunocytochemical evaluation of proliferation activity was tested using the monoclonal antibody MIB-1 on cytologic specimens.
The study comprised 83 frozen tissue smears (FTSs) and 51 fine needle aspirates (FNAs) from 119 breast cancer patients. MIB-1 labeling indexes (LIs) were compared with various tumor parameters assessed on histologic material.
MIB-1 LIs established on cytologic smears were significantly different in ductal and lobular carcinomas (P = .024) and correlated significantly with mitotic activity (P < .0001), histologic grade (P < .0001) and S-phase fraction (P < .0001). Essentially the same results were obtained on FTSs and FNAs.
Proliferative activity can reliably be evaluated by FNA cytology, and the evaluation of MIB-1 LIs may complement cytologic grading of breast cancer. The evaluation of proliferation activity may, therefore, contribute to the selection of candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy.
