20 male patients (G2), affected by idiopathic oligozoospermia, and 10 normal fertile males (G1) were investigated. The DNA content of 50 Feulgen stained sperm heads per subject was determined, using single cell photometry. In a second step area, circumference, length, and width of the same heads were measured, using a semi-automatic image analysis system. Considering only morphologically normal heads, the mean DNA content is only slightly smaller in G2 than in G1. On the contrary, the DNA variation is strongly higher in G2 than in G1. Unfortunately, morphologically defect heads show an increased DNA variation, too. Thus, determining the DNA variation of a semen, containing many morphologically defect heads, a combined determination of the DNA content and head morphology is necessary. This can only be achieved by single cell cytophotometry, which is therefore superior to flow cytophotometry as regards this problem. Many heads with a strongly abnormal DNA content do not show any morphological abnormalities. These subcellular changes can only be detected by the determination of the DNA content.

DNA↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Cytomorphologic and DNA cytometric features of hepatocellular carcinoma in fine needle aspirates.

OBJECTIVE: To classify hepatocellular carcinoma according to DNA ploidy patterns and to evaluate distinct cytomorphologic features of hepatocellular carcinoma that correlate with DNA ploidy patterns. STUDY DESIGN: Fine needle aspiration smears of 36 histologically proven hepatocellular carcinomas were performed for DNA measurement by image analysis after Feulgen restaining of the specimens. Nuclear features-prominent nucleoli, nuclear cleavage, nuclear area and nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio-were correlated with the DNA ploidy patterns. RESULTS: Of the 36 cases, 14 were either diploid (n = 7) or polyploid (n = 7), 19 tumors had a single aneuploid stemline, 2 cases had multiple stemlines, and 1 case had no discernible stemline. A preponderance of prominent nucleoli was seen in 7/7 diploid tumors (2c), 6/7 polyploid tumors (4c, 8c) and 6/8 aneuploid tumors (> 4c). Conspicuous nuclear cleavage in a high number of tumor cells was present substantially in tumors with large nuclear areas (4c, > 4c). CONCLUSION: Most hepatocellular carcinoma studied had a distinct stemline so that the tumors could be designated DNA diploid, polyploid or aneuploid. The prevalence of prominent nucleoli and nuclear cleavage was a distinguishing cytologic feature that could predict DNA ploidy patterns. No special association of the nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio with any of the ploidy groups was noted.

Aneuploidy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Letter: Statistical analysis of cytophotometric DNA measurements demonstrated on malignant testicular teratoma.

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DNA↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Differential diagnosis of malignant intrahepatic tumors by ultrasonically guided fine needle aspiration biopsy and by laparoscopic/intraoperative biopsy. A comparative study.

Thirty-six cases of ultrasonographically detected liver tumors (28 malignant and 8 benign lesions) were investigated by both fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy and laparoscopic or intraoperative tissue biopsy. The sensitivity of FNA biopsy in detecting a neoplasm was 85.7% while that of tissue biopsy was 82.1%. Specificity was 100% in both methods. A correct histologic diagnosis of the neoplasm could be made on the cytologic smear in only 14 cases (50.0%) due to technical and methodologic difficulties. Endoscopic and intraoperative tissue biopsy yielded sufficient material to make a definite histologic tumor diagnosis in 23 of 28 cases. Additional information on tumor spread and sequelae of liver infiltration was obtained by macroscopic tissue observations in nine cases. These results indicate that FNA biopsy is less sensitive in the classification of primary or secondary liver tumors and that tissue biopsies obtained during laparoscopy or laparotomy are required if a suspected hepatic neoplasm needs to be classified exactly to plan therapy and to establish a prognosis.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Improved technique for investigations on archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumors by interphase in-situ hybridisation.

In-situ hybridisation techniques are powerful tools for the analysis of chromosomes in a variety of specimens. Due to hybridisation problems caused by extensive formalin-fixation in tissue samples mainly isolated nuclei were used for chromosomal analysis. In archival tissue, for sections to retain both an optimum of well preserved morphology and hybridisation efficiency a large-scale adjustment of protease digestion steps for each tissue block was required. We sought to develop an easy, reproducible technique by pretreatment in a 90 degrees C glycerol solution and subsequent denaturation in an autoclave 1 bar for 10 minutes. Our experiments were performed on eight up to ten years old human bladder cancer tissue blocks. Comparison with established pretreatment techniques did not reveal hybridisation differences while the morphology of tissue sections kept intact. This technique facilitates retrospective interphase cytogenetic analyses and is a reliable method for detection of chromosomal anomalies in formalin-fixed archival tumors.

Centromere↗

PubMedDate not supplied

beta 1-Integrin expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

beta 1-integrins are widespread adhesion molecules which belong to a family of heterodimeric membrane glycoproteins and consist of two subunits, alpha and beta. Integrins seem to play an important role in the spreading and metastasis of malignant tumors. We investigated the expression and distribution of these adhesion molecules on papillary thyroid carcinomas by immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded cancer tissues. We estimated the beta 1-integrin expression in cancerous areas in comparison to normal adjacent thyroid tissue. Our results revealed a highly significant difference in all investigated parameters between cancer and normal thyroid cells (p < 0.0001). Comparing our findings with the metastatic potential of the primary thyroid tumors, our results show that beta 1-integrin expression could be used as a prognostic parameter for papillary thyroid tumors.

Carcinoma, Papillary↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Secretoneurin in carcinoids of the appendix-immunohistochemical comparison with chromogranins A,B and secretogranin II.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate immunohistochemically the distribution of secretoneurin, a novel 33 amino acid peptide, in comparison to chromogranin A, chromogranin B, and secretogranin II in carcinoids of the appendix. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Paraffin-embedded tissues from 47 carcinoids were incubated with antibodies specific for chromogranin A, chromogranin B, the secretogranin II derived peptide LF- 19, and secretoneurin. RESULTS: 44 tumors (94%) were positive for secretoneurin, whereas only 39 tumors (83%) were immunoreactive for chromogranin A. There was no significant correlation between neuropeptide expression and type of carcinoid, tumor size, vascular infiltration, serosal involvement or mesoappendiceal infiltration. CONCLUSIONS: Our investigations revealed that secretoneurin is detected more frequently than chromogranin A in carcinoids of the appendix. This supports the theory that tumor cells of appendiceal carcinoids are of a different origin than other midgut carcinoids. No special tumor entity with a characteristic secretoneurin-chromogranin pattern could be identified.

Antigens, CD↗