Histology alone does not always predict the clinical outcome of human meningiomas. Determination of proliferative activity has therefore become an important diagnostic and prognostic tool to identify more aggressive meningiomas, and the Ki-67/MIB-1 monoclonal antibody has become widely used. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of the Ki-67/MIB-1 labeling index (LI) in human meningiomas by a search in the literature. In PubMed/Medline databases, 53 articles were found, and they all showed positive correlations between Ki-67/MIB-1 LI and histological malignancy grade. The average mean labeling indices were 3%, 8%, and 17% for grade I-III meningiomas, respectively. There was, however, considerable overlap of indices between the malignancy groups. Concerning recurrence, meningiomas with a labeling index beyond 4% may indicate an increased relapse rate. Consequently, Ki-67/MIB-1 LI represents a useful predictor of tumor grade and risk of recurrence, however, it must be interpreted cautiously in the individual tumor.
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