Abstract :
Astrocytomas are the most common primary brain tumor with prognosis highly dependent on Grading of the tumor. With the limited tissue available in stereotactic biopsy and often not representing the area of concern, development of new antibodies targeted against specific proteins in mitotically active cells is necessary. Ki67/MIB-1 LI has conventionally been used along with mitotic count to grade the astrocytomas. However Ki67 has limitation that it is expressed by cells through the cell cycle and it is difficult to differentiate mitotically active cells from apoptotic cells. In this study, thirty cases of various grades of astrocytomas were labelled with antibodies against Mitosin and PHH3 along with Ki67/MIB-1 and Mitosin Index and PHH3 Index were compared with Mitotic Index and MIB-1 LI. The present study depicted statistically significant difference of Mitosin Index and PHH3 Index amongst most of the grades of astrocytomas. Also it indicated a positive correlation amongst all four markers of proliferative index, the
strongest being between PHH3 and Mitosin. Immunohistochemical determination of proliferative activity in astrocytomas using antibodies against PHH3 and Mitosin may assist in the histopathological diagnosis.
Keyword :
Tumors astrocytoma ki67 PHH3, mitosin Labelling index mitotic index.