Abstract

In order to extract useful tumor cell-specific information. DNA contents and other morphological parameters were measured by image analysis. Single cell preparation was made from archived paraffin blocks of 14 cases of bronchogenic squamous cell carcinoma, poorly differentiated, by protease treatment. The cells were Feulgen stained, and DNA content, area, perimeter, and major axis of the tumor cell nuclei were measured. Inflammatory lymphocytes concurrent with the tumor cells were used as an internal standard. DNA ploidies of the lymphocytes and 2C tumor cells showed simple peaks with Gaussian distribution and mean coefficients of variation of 10% and 14% respectively. By the location and proportion of the tumor cells other than 2C cells, DNA ploidies could be classified into diploidy(1 case), polyploidy(2 cases), and aneuploidy(11 cases). The mean proportion of DNA aneuploidal tumor cells relative to the total tumor cells was 82.8%. In 8 cases, nuclear areas showed more or less overlapped distribution, whereas DNA contents showed discrete peaks. THes results suggest that many bronchogenic squamous cell carcinomas, poorly differentiated, have DNA aneuploidy and high proportion of aneuploidal cells, and that nuclear size and DNA content are more or less independent parameters.

• Keywords: Bronchogenic carcinoma;DNA ploidy;Image analysis