Chromatin texture, DNA index, and S-phase fraction in primary breast carcinoma cells analysed by laserscanning cytometry.

Objectives: Laser scanning cytometry (LSC) is a slide-based technique capable of measuring a number of biological parameters both in immobilised cell suspensions and in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections.

Background: High proliferation rate in surgically removed breast tumours is an unfavourable prognostic factor. In node negative cases it can help distinguish patients with higher risk for distant metastases from those with a lower risk.

Patients And Methods: In a prospective study we investigated 140 breast tumours, of which 113 were invasive ductal carcinomas, 11 were invasive lobular carcinomas, and 16 tumours were of other histological types. Cells for LSC investigations were prepared from fresh, surgically removed tumours by mechanical disintegration. After fixation the cells were stained with FITC-conjugated anti-cytokeratin (CK-FITC) to distinguish CK+ tumour cells from CK- stroma, and with propidium iodide to stain DNA.

Results: We identified three S-phase fraction (SPF) groups, with low (30 patients), moderate (54 patients), and high SPF (51 patients). Thirty-seven tumours were diploid, 83 were aneuploid, while 5 tumours had a bimodal distribution of DNA content. Chromatin texture values were increasing in the respective subclasses from the hypodiploid group to the tetraploid/hypertetraploid group.

Conclusion: The measurement of DNA content and SPF of tumours by LSC completed by and correlated with other biological properties of the tumour cells may be a useful tool in assessing prognosis and clinical outcome of patients with breast cancer. (Tab. 5, Fig. 4, Ref. 18). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.