1996 Volume 29 Issue 8 Pages 1734-1740
The efficacy of chromosomal analysis of gastric biopsy specimens was evaluated as a potential malignant marker by the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique which allows chromosomal analysis within interphase cells. Seventy-six gastric biopsy specimens were studied, and the chromosomal numerical aberration was analyzed by using centromere probes specific to chromosomes 1, 7, 11, 17, respectively. The fraction of monosomy and polysomy (more than 3 copies per cell) showed a tendency of an increase in chromosoms 1, 7, 11 and 17 as the clinical stage advanced according to the TNM classification. The relationship between ploidy pattern and clinicopathological factors was investigated in 30 surgical cases. In the patients with polyploid tumors of chromosomes 7, 11, and 17, we found that the incidence of lymph node metastasis and lymph ductal invasion was significantly high (chromosome 7: p<0.05; chromosome 11: p<0.05; chromosome 17: p<0.05). In the patients with aneuploid tumors of chromosomes 1 and 11 we found that the incidence of peritoneal dissemination was significantly high chromosome 1: p<0.01; chromosome 11: p<0.05). In the patients with polyploid tumors in chromosome 17 we found a statistically significant high incidence of venous invasion (p<0.01). On the basis of these results, FISH analysis seems an effective method which could predict the malignant potential of gastric cancers before surgery.
