Assessment of cell proliferation based on group analysis of Ki-67 index in serous ovarian cancers

OBJECTIVES: Ovarian neoplasms are very important problems in medicine, because they account for 23% of all female genital neoplasms, and they are the cause of 47% deaths among women suffering from cancers of the female reproductive organs. Growth of the neoplasms depends on the speed of cells' reproduction. Monoclonal antibody Ki-67 detects specific antigen--nonhistonic protein of cellular nucleus, which is characteristic for dividing cells. It gives the possibility of using Ki-67 to establish proliferating index, especially in intensely proliferating neoplasm tissues. PURPOSE: The aim of the study was the evaluation of clinical parameters compared with histological and laboratory findings in serous carcinomas. The research analysed the level of proliferating index Ki-67 in patients with ovarian cancers and in control group. MATERIALS: The material used consisted of 41 cases of serous ovarian cancer. For clinical examinations we chose only patients who underwent primary surgical operation. The control group for Ki-67 levels were 15 patients with benign serous ovarian adenomas. METHODS: For showing Ki-67 reacting antigen in paraffin samples of ovarian cancer we used DAKO Serum (Rabbit Anti Human Ki-67 Antigen N 1574 LSAB). Tissue proliferation activity called proliferation index--IP Ki-67 was measured as a proportion of numbers of cells reacting with antigen to the total number of cells in the sample. RESULTS: Mean level of IP Ki-67 in examined group was 29.01%, compared to 5.84% in the control group and that was statistically significantly higher (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of cells' proliferative activity differentiates benign adenomas from ovarian serous carcinomas. But I didn't find this kind of correlation among analysed clinical and laboratory parameters and the level of Ki-67 index in ovarian serous cancers.