[Proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression as a prognostic indicator for renal cell carcinoma: comparison with pathologic features and DNA content].

In the present study the prognostic value of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) index and tumor DNA content were evaluated in 100 patients with renal cell carcinoma. The survival rate of patients with aneuploid tumors was not significantly different from that of those with diploid tumors. DNA ploidy could not be a prognostic factor. PCNA expression was determined by immunohistochemical staining using the PC10 clone. PCNA indices ranged from 2.6 to 33.6% with mean indices of 10.2, 15.7 and 27.9% for grades 1 to 3. There was a significant difference between the indices of each grade of tumor. Patients with a PCNA index of less than 13.6% had a longer survival time than the patients having tumors with a PCNA index of more than 13.6% (p < 0.05). Furthermore, within the group of grade 2 tumors, patients with a lower PCNA index had a significantly better prognosis (p < 0.05). Our findings demonstrated that the PCNA index provides significant prognostic information for renal cell carcinoma.