Ki 67 Expression in Various Diseases of Gallbladder

Abstract

Cell proliferation is an important prerequisite for the development of a neoplasm. Ki-67 is one of the most important cell proliferation markers. Its expression is correlated with the aggression of various histopathologic changes in the epithelium of gallbladder. This study aims to assess the expression of Ki-67 in various pathological processes that affects the epithelium of gallbladder.Gallbladders from 146 patients were studied histopathologically. Then sections from the paraffin embedded tissues were evaluated for the expression of Ki-67 by using immunohistochemical method. The results of Ki-67 labeling index were estimated for each pathologic category and were analyzed for their significance using Mann-Whitney test.The mean value of Ki-67 LI in the epithelium of normal gallbladder was (0.7%), in acute cholecystitis (1.14%), epithelial hyperplasia (8.38%), metaplasia (21.18%), dysplasia (38%) and (70.6%) in the carcinoma group. There was no statistically significant difference with regard to ki-67 between the epithelium of normal GB and those with acute inflammation (p= 0.904) and the difference was highly significant when the normal gallbladder epithelium was compared with carcinoma group. There was statistically highly significant difference when the comparison was performed between normal epithelium and metaplasia group (p< 0.001) and the group of dysplasia (p= 0.001).From the present study a conclusion can be made is that Ki-67 expression increases in chronic inflammation and further increment occurs in premalignant and malignant lesions of the gall bladder epithelium and can be used as a marker of aggression of histopatholgic lesions.