Open AccessFlow cytometric analysis of head and neck carcinoma DNA index and S‐fraction from paraffin‐embedded sections: Comparison with malignancy grading
Author(s) -
Johnson Tod S.,
Williamson Kenneth D.,
Cramer Michael M.,
Peters Lester J.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
cytometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1097-0320
pISSN - 0196-4763
DOI - 10.1002/cyto.990060511
Subject(s) - malignancy , pathology , grading (engineering) , aneuploidy , biology , flow cytometry , dna , ploidy , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , chromosome , genetics , ecology , gene
Archival, paraffin‐embedded, pathology specimens representing pretreatment tissue biopsies from 73 patients with epidermoid carcinoma of the head and neck were analyzed for DNA Index and %S‐phase cells by flow cytometry and were scored for quantitative histomorphology. The DNA fluorescence/light scatter size patterns derived from paraffinembedded specimens were shown to be essentially the same as those from mechanically disaggregated, ethanol‐fixed cells obtained from the same tissue specimen. Patterns ranged from lymphocyte‐like to highly abnormal DNA Index cytokinetic patterns. The DNA Index values ranged from 0.70 to 3.50 (median 1.42), with an aneuploidy frequency of 63/73 (86%). DNA distribution %S ranged from 4% to 45% (mean 19), with the microscopic malignancy grading showing broad heterogeneity (mean 2.1, range 1.0–3.0, where 1.0–1.7 = well differentiated, 1.8–2.3 = moderately differentiated, 2.4–3.0 = poorly differentiated). Cross‐comparison of these data showed that (1) the tumor %S was dependent on DNA Index (higher %S at higher ploidy), (2) low to high malignancy tumors were randomly distributed between diploid/near diploid tumors and high‐degree DNA abnormality tumors, and (3) proliferative activity values broadly overlapped between low to high malignancy scored tumors. However, those carcinomas characterized by high DNA Index (≥ 1.50) and high %S‐phase fractions (≥ 20) had a five fold higher incidence of high‐degree malignancy, invasive tumors than diploid/near diploid (%S ⩽19) tumors.