Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1989 Jul;60(1):45–50. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1989.217

Flow cytometric analysis of DNA content in human ovarian cancers.

E Erba 1, P Ubezio 1, S Pepe 1, M Vaghi 1, S Marsoni 1, W Torri 1, C Mangioni 1, F Landoni 1, M D'Incalci 1
PMCID: PMC2247358  PMID: 2803914

Abstract

A total of 155 samples from 101 patients with ovarian cancer were investigated using flow cytometry to evaluate the DNA index and the percentage of cells in the various cell cycle phases. Thirty-four samples were DNA diploid tumours, while the other 121 were DNA aneuploid tumours. The DNA index was very stable in different sites and over time in the same patient. Tumour stage and ploidy were significantly associated: stages III and IV tumour stage were more likely to be DNA aneuploid. Patients with residual tumour size at first surgery greater than 2 cm had a significantly larger number of DNA aneuploid than DNA diploid tumours. The DNA index was also related to the degree of differentiation of the tumours. The percentage of cells in the S phase of the cell cycle was significantly higher in DNA aneuploid and in poorly differentiated tumours than DNA diploid and well differentiated tumours. Multivariate analysis using the Cox model showed that the DNA index and the percentage of cells in S phase were not independent prognostic variables in this study. Prospectively collected data should be accumulated before assigning the DNA index an important role as a biological prognostic factor in ovarian cancer.

Full text

PDF
45

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barlogie B., Drewinko B., Schumann J., Göhde W., Dosik G., Latreille J., Johnston D. A., Freireich E. J. Cellular DNA content as a marker of neoplasia in man. Am J Med. 1980 Aug;69(2):195–203. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(80)90379-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barlogie B., Raber M. N., Schumann J., Johnson T. S., Drewinko B., Swartzendruber D. E., Göhde W., Andreeff M., Freireich E. J. Flow cytometry in clinical cancer research. Cancer Res. 1983 Sep;43(9):3982–3997. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Coon J. S., Landay A. L., Weinstein R. S. Advances in flow cytometry for diagnostic pathology. Lab Invest. 1987 Nov;57(5):453–479. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cornelisse C. J., van de Velde C. J., Caspers R. J., Moolenaar A. J., Hermans J. DNA ploidy and survival in breast cancer patients. Cytometry. 1987 Mar;8(2):225–234. doi: 10.1002/cyto.990080217. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Costa A., Mazzini G., Del Bino G., Silvestrini R. DNA content and kinetic characteristics of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: determined by flow cytometry and autoradiography. Cytometry. 1981 Nov;2(3):185–188. doi: 10.1002/cyto.990020310. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Coulson P. B., Thornthwaite J. T., Woolley T. W., Sugarbaker E. V., Seckinger D. Prognostic indicators including DNA histogram type, receptor content, and staging related to human breast cancer patient survival. Cancer Res. 1984 Sep;44(9):4187–4196. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Erba E., Vaghi M., Pepe S., Amato G., Bistolfi M., Ubezio P., Mangioni C., Landoni F., Morasca L. DNA index of ovarian carcinomas from 56 patients: in vivo in vitro studies. Br J Cancer. 1985 Oct;52(4):565–573. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1985.228. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Frankfurt O. S., Arbuck S. G., Chin J. L., Greco W. R., Pavelic Z. P., Slocum H. K., Mittelman A., Piver S. M., Pontes E. J., Rustum Y. M. Prognostic applications of DNA flow cytometry for human solid tumors. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1986;468:276–290. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1986.tb42046.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Frankfurt O. S., Greco W. R., Slocum H. K., Arbuck S. G., Gamarra M., Pavelic Z. P., Rustum Y. M. Proliferative characteristics of primary and metastatic human solid tumors by DNA flow cytometry. Cytometry. 1984 Nov;5(6):629–635. doi: 10.1002/cyto.990050612. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Friedlander M. L., Hedley D. W., Taylor I. W. Clinical and biological significance of aneuploidy in human tumours. J Clin Pathol. 1984 Sep;37(9):961–974. doi: 10.1136/jcp.37.9.961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Friedlander M. L., Hedley D. W., Taylor I. W., Russell P., Coates A. S., Tattersall M. H. Influence of cellular DNA content on survival in advanced ovarian cancer. Cancer Res. 1984 Jan;44(1):397–400. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Friedlander M. L., Taylor I. W., Russell P., Tattersall M. H. Cellular DNA content--a stable feature in epithelial ovarian cancer. Br J Cancer. 1984 Feb;49(2):173–179. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1984.29. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hedley D. W., Friedlander M. L., Taylor I. W. Application of DNA flow cytometry to paraffin-embedded archival material for the study of aneuploidy and its clinical significance. Cytometry. 1985 Jul;6(4):327–333. doi: 10.1002/cyto.990060409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Iversen O. E., Laerum O. D. Ploidy disturbances in endometrial and ovarian carcinomas. A review. Anal Quant Cytol Histol. 1985 Dec;7(4):327–336. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Iversen O. E., Skaarland E. Ploidy assessment of benign and malignant ovarian tumors by flow cytometry. A clinicopathologic study. Cancer. 1987 Jul 1;60(1):82–87. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19870701)60:1<82::aid-cncr2820600114>3.0.co;2-d. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Johnson T. S., Williamson K. D., Cramer M. M., Peters L. J. Flow cytometric analysis of head and neck carcinoma DNA index and S-fraction from paraffin-embedded sections: comparison with malignancy grading. Cytometry. 1985 Sep;6(5):461–470. doi: 10.1002/cyto.990060511. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Long M. E., Sommers S. C. Staging, grading and histochemistry of ovarian epithelial tumors. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1969 Dec;12(4):937–954. doi: 10.1097/00003081-196912040-00007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ozols R. F., Garvin A. J., Costa J., Simon R. M., Young R. C. Advanced ovarian cancer: correlation of histologic grade with response to therapy and survival. Cancer. 1980 Feb;45(3):572–581. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19800201)45:3<572::aid-cncr2820450325>3.0.co;2-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Rodenburg C. J., Cornelisse C. J., Heintz P. A., Hermans J., Fleuren G. J. Tumor ploidy as a major prognostic factor in advanced ovarian cancer. Cancer. 1987 Jan 15;59(2):317–323. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19870115)59:2<317::aid-cncr2820590225>3.0.co;2-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Volm M., Brüggemann A., Günther M., Kleine W., Pfleiderer A., Vogt-Schaden M. Prognostic relevance of ploidy, proliferation, and resistance-predictive tests in ovarian carcinoma. Cancer Res. 1985 Oct;45(10):5180–5185. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Volm M., Mattern J., Sonka J., Vogt-Schaden M., Wayss K. DNA distribution in non-small-cell lung carcinomas and its relationship to clinical behavior. Cytometry. 1985 Jul;6(4):348–356. doi: 10.1002/cyto.990060412. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Zimmerman P. V., Hawson G. A., Bint M. H., Parsons P. G. Ploidy as a prognostic determinant in surgically treated lung cancer. Lancet. 1987 Sep 5;2(8558):530–533. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(87)92923-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES