In the context of doctoral research, I utilized immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis to quantify the expression levels of the Ki-67 proliferation marker. While the application of this test and biomarker was focused on tumor tissue in my thesis, the broader academic inquiry is whether the IHC assessment of Ki-67 holds diagnostic value beyond neoplastic pathologies. Specifically, is the utility of the Ki-67 IHC test limited to evaluating proliferative activity in malignant tissues, or does this methodology and marker possess diagnostic relevance in the assessment of non-neoplastic tissue samples as well?
Dear Sayed,
Ki-67 can be utilized as a qualitative or quantitative IHC marker for a series of health conditions such as:
- Psoriasic conditions
- Endometriosis and infertility
- Cervical dysplasia evaluation and screening (CINtec PLus)
- Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Colitis (in a variety of forms) as well as other IBDs
- HBV+/HCV+ Cirrhotic Liver Evaluation
- Atherosclerosis
and so on...
Because Ki-67 IHC evaluation presents several challenges for histopathologists that evaluate tissue slides, keep in mind that there are also other molecular approaches to Ki-67, such as mRNA quantification.
Kind Regards,
Antonis
References
- Significance of Ki67 expression in endometriosis for infertility (DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2022.03.019).
- Immunohistochemical expression of P53, Ki-67, and CD34 in psoriasis and psoriasiform dermatitis (DOI: 10.1051/bmdcn/2019090426).
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: immunohistochemical analysis provides fresh insights into lung tissue remodelling with implications for novel prognostic markers (PMID: 22295148)
- Expansion of Activated Peripheral Blood Memory B Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Impact of B Cell Depletion Therapy, and Biomarkers of Response (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128269)
- Microscopic colitis patients have increased proportions of Ki67(+) proliferating and CD45RO(+) active/memory CD8(+) and CD4(+)8(+) mucosal T cells (DOI: 10.1016/j.crohns.2012.08.014)
- Immunohistochemical assessment of Ki67 and p53 expression assists the diagnosis and grading of ulcerative colitis-related dysplasia (DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2559.2000.00934.x)
- Hepatic expression of the proliferative marker Ki-67 and p53 protein in HBV or HCV cirrhosis in relation to dysplastic liver cell changes and hepatocellular carcinoma (DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2893.2005.00635.x)
- Characterization of Proliferating Lesion‐Resident Cells During All Stages of Atherosclerotic Growth (DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.116.003945)
- Combined HPV and CINtec PLUS Testing for Triaging Cervical Cancer Screening in a Belgian Cohort (DOI : https://doi.org/10.47739/2475-9430/1144)
The immunohistochemical (IHC) evaluation of Ki-67 is primarily used as a proliferation marker in neoplastic pathologies, helping to gauge tumor aggressiveness and prognosis. Beyond neoplasia, Ki-67 IHC can be valuable in assessing the proliferation rate in various benign conditions and reactive processes. For example, it aids in differentiating between hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions in tissues, evaluating cell turnover in chronic inflammatory diseases, and monitoring regenerative responses in wound healing. Therefore, Ki-67's diagnostic value extends to understanding cell proliferation dynamics in both pathological and physiological conditions.