[Flow cytometric analysis of the DNA content of the urinary bladder cancers--study on the DNA heterogeneity in bladder cancers].

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical relevance between the DNA ploidy and histopathology, and the incidence of the DNA heterogeneity in patients with bladder cancers. METHODS: Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to study the DNA ploidy in 63 patients who underwent total cystectomy. The DNA ploidy and DNA index were analyzed by FCM in total 328 paraffin embedded samples (5.2 samples per case on the average). RESULTS: The DNA ploidy of 52 bladder cancers, that had coexisted after total cystectomy, showed that 24 cases, 46% were DNA aneuploid and 18 cases, 35% had DNA heterogeneity. The DNA ploidy of 11 cases that were eradicated after cystectomy was all DNA diploid. There were significantly good correlation among DNA ploidy pattern and intravesical involvement (lymph duct involvement and venous involvement), but were not among the DNA ploidy pattern and tumor grade and stage. With regard to the evaluation of two vertical divided samples of tumors, DNA aneuploid had been not always recognized in the deeper sample, therefore, we did not determine that there was good correlation between the DNA ploidy and the tumor invasion. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that although the incidence of DNA heterogeneity in bladder cancers (35%) is thought to be relatively small, the DNA ploidy will be able to the important prognosticating factor in bladder cancers.