Prognostic significance of Ki-67/MIB-1 proliferation index in meningiomas

Even though tumor grade, subtype, and extent of resection are strong prognostic factors in human meningiomas, the growth of this tumor is still unpredictable, and additional prognostic markers are needed. Thus, immunohistochemical determination of proliferative activity using the Ki-67 equivalent antibody MIB-1 has gained increased attention. However, the reported prognostic significance of this marker in meningiomas is not fully clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic role of MIB-1 proliferation index (PI) in a series of meningiomas comprising 23 benign, 17 atypical, and 9 anaplastic tumors. MIB- 1 PI increased with increasing tumor grade and discriminated significantly benign from atypical and anaplastic meningiomas whereas no difference was found between the latter two grades. However, due to the considerable overlap of PI values between the various grades, one should be circumspect before using this criterion for tumor grading. Furthermore, MIB-1 PIs were significantly higher in recurrent tumors compared with non-recurrent and a reliable MIB-1 PI cut-off value of 10% was established. This value, however, cannot automatically be adapted by other laboratories and must be regarded just as a guideline. In conclusion, MIB-1 PI appears as an important prognostic factor and should be used in combination with traditional histological criteria for malignancy in order to identify meningiomas with increased risk of recurrence.