Proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunoreaction in adrenal tumors

Abstract

Aims and background: We studied, retrospectively, 33 cases of adrenal tumors of children at the Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Children's Institute, São Paulo State University Medical School, from 1975 to 1993. All patients had at least 2 years of follow-up with a few exceptions.

Methods: Clinical follow-up data were correlated with histopathologic review, laboratory data and cell kinetic evaluation (based on detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigens).

Results: With one exception, all the patients had presented signs of androgen production and had high levels of dehydro-epiandrosterone-sulfate. Tumor weight evaluation represented a good parameter of neoplasm evolution: of 19 cases weighing less than 250 g, 17 had no evidence of disease after surgery, and 2 had an unfavorable prognosis. Of 14 cases weighing more than 250 g, only 1 had no evidence of disease and 13 had an unfavorable evolution.

Conclusions: Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was not helpful to evaluate adrenal neoplasm evolution: our study did not show any correlation between PCNA score and prognosis.