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Ki-67 is a nuclear protein that is expressed during various stages in the cell cycle, particularly during late G1, S, G2, and M phases. The protein has a forkhead associated domain (FHA) through which it associates with euchromatin at the perichromosomal layer, the centromeric heterochromatin, and the nucleolus. Ki-67 is shown to have a cell cycle dependent topographical distribution with perinucleolar expression at G1, expression in the nuclear matrix at G2, and expression on the chromosomes during M phase. Ki-67 is commonly used as a proliferation marker because it is not detected in G0 cells, but increases steadily from G1 through mitosis. Ki-67 antibodies are useful in establishing the cell growing fraction in neoplasms. In neoplastic tissues, the prognostic value is comparable to the tritiated thymidine-labelling index. The correlation between low Ki-67 index and histologically low-grade tumors is strong. Ki-67 is routinely used as a neuronal marker of cell cycling and proliferation.
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