Background

Ki67, also known as MKI67, it is the prototypic cell cycle related nuclear protein, expressed by proliferating cells in all phases of the active cell cycle (G1, S, G2 and M phase). It is absent in resting (G0) cells. Ki67 antibodies are useful in establishing the cell growing fraction in neoplasms (immunohistochemically quantified by determining the number of Ki67 positive cells among the total number of resting cells = Ki67 index). In neoplastic tissues the prognostic value is comparable to the tritiated thymidine labelling index. The correlation between low Ki67 index and histologically low grade tumours is strong. Ki67 is routinely used as a neuronal marker of cell cycling and proliferation.