Abstract
This study aims to investigate the utility of digital protocols for Ki-67 immunohistochemistry quantitative analysis (“hot spot” method) in the setting of well-differentiated hepatocellular neoplasms. Resection cases of typical hepatic adenomas (HAs) (n = 40), atypical HAs (n = 9), and well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas (WD HCCs) (n = 56) were selected. HAs were further classified by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against liver fatty acid binding protein, glutamine synthetase, B-catenin, hepatic serum amyloid A, and C-reactive protein. Ki-67 proliferative index by immunohistochemistry was evaluated in all cases by digital analysis using a modified neuroendocrine tumor “hot spot” protocol. The proliferative rate of HAs (typical, median 1.2% (range 0–7.4%) and atypical, median 1.0% (range 0.3–3%)) was significantly lower than that of WD HCCs (median 4.5%, range 0–49.8%) (P < 0.0001). Only a few (7.5%) of the adenomas (all inflammatory/telangiectatic type) had proliferative rates higher than 4%, compared to most (51%) of HCCs. Ki-67 is a potentially useful adjunct marker in the evaluation of WD hepatocellular neoplasms, as “hot spot” proliferative rates are consistently very low in HAs but vary significantly in WD HCCs.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 201-207 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Virchows Archiv |
Volume | 478 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 2021 |
Keywords
- Digital analysis
- HCC
- Hepatic adenoma
- Hepatocellular carcinoma
- Ki-67
- Proliferative index
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology