2005 Volume 44 Issue 4 Pages 195-200
Objective: We clarifed the usefulness of molecular cytogenetic analysis in diagnosing urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder.
Study Design: Multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using centrometic DNA probes for chromosomes 3, 7, and 17 and a locus specific probe for 9p21 (p16 INK4a) was conducted for 101 urothelial tumors, i. e., 44 bladder irrigation samples and 57 biopsy specimens.
Results: Tumors were divided into diploid and aneuploid carcinoma based on nuclear DNA content. Numerical abnormalities were detected for at least one CEP probe in all urothelial tumors. Lowgrade carcinomas were characterized by a loss of 9p21 and diploid, whearas high-grade carcinomas showed large intercellular variations in CEP signal numbers and were aneuploid tumors. The numericalaberration in 9p21 signals was found in all tumors, indicating that the aberration in 9p21 signals is an indicator of urothelial carcinoma.
Conclusion: The combination of FISH and LSC technologies is useful for diagnosing and evaluating malignancy in bladder urothelial carcinoma.
