Abstract
The significance of nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) and nuclear DNA contents was assessed for proliferative activity and biological behavior in 25 supraglottic and 73 glottic laryngeal carcinomas. The numbers of NORs stained by a silver colloid staining method were counted and nuclear DNA contents were assayed by cytofluorometry. Cytofluorometric study demonstrated that as the differentiating grade of tumors became poorer, the percentage of tumors with aneuploid tended to increase. Moreover, as T categories and Stage grouping advanced in supraglottic carcinomas, the frequency of tumors with aneuploid tended to be higher. The difference of survival rate was not significant between tumors with diploid and those with aneuploid. AgNOR staining method revealed that as the differentiating grade of glottic tumors became poorer, the mean AgNOR number was higher. Moreover as T, N categories and Stage grouping advanced, the mean AgNOR number tended to be higher. More interestingly, the mean AgNOR number was significantly higher in the group with lymph node metastasis than in the non-metastatic group. There was no significant difference between tumors with low AgNOR counts (under mean) and those with high AgNOR counts (over mean). These studies indicate that AgNOR staining method has an advantage over DNA cytofluorometric analysis in the prediction of lymph node metastasis.
