We compared nuclear DNA contents of oral squamous cell carcinomas (oral SCC) as measured by flow cytometry (FCM) and cytophotometry (CPM). Biopsy specimens from36 patients with oral SCC were analyzed. Nuclear DNA contents of cancer cells were measured by FCM and CPM. Analyses of flow cytometric DNA histograms (FCMDHs) were based on evidence of G
0/1 peaks.
FCMDHs were classified as follows: group-Al, histograms with only a single G
0/1 peak obtained for 80% or more of total cells; group-A2, histograms with only a single G
0/1 peak obtained for less than 80% of total cells; and group-B, histograms with more than two peaks. Analyses of cytophotometric DNA histograms were based on the rate of cells with contents exceeding 4c (exceeding rate of 4c, 4cER). Cells having DNA contents exceeding 4c were regarded as polyploid, aneuploid, or both. The relationship between FCMDH and 4cER was as follows: range/mean of 4cER for groups-Al, A2, and B were 0-12.3%/5.5%. 0-41.0%/16.4%, and 3.0-32.5%/16.9%, respectively. Histograms of group-A2 and B showed significantly higher 4cER than that of group-A1 (P<0.05).
In nine cases, flow cytometric DNA histograms showed only a single G
0/1 peak despite evidence of aneuploid cells on cytophotometric DNA histograms. The results suggested that cytometric analysis was useful in detecting DNA aneuploid cells, especially when small numbers of cancer cells intermingled with stromal cells.
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