Abstract
Expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was examined immunohistologically in 33 head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and its relationship with cancer progression, histological malignancy and prognosis was also examined. The results were as follows:
1. PCNA immunoreactivity significantly correlated with tumor size and lymph node metastasis.
2. PCNA immunoreactivity significantly correlated with histological malignancy according to the Anneroth classification, especially in the degree of nuclear polymorphism, the mode of invasion and the depth of invasion.
3. Concerning the prognosis, survival rate was significantly worse in cases with high PCNA immunoreactivity than in those with low PCNA immunoreactivity. From the above findings, expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) revealed a correspondence to clinical and pathological findings, suggesting that PCNA may be useful information to grasp malignancy and the presumption of prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
