Flow Cytometric DNA Analysis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Oh, Young Lyun; Kim, Yong Il

Abstract

A flow cytometric analysis of the nuclear DNA content of solid tumors using paraffin-embedded tissues has become available since 1983, and its ploidy pattern has been designated as an important prognostic parameter in many human tumors. Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors among Koreans, but little information is consolidated about the significance of ploidy pattern. We measured the nuclear DNA content of 62 surgically resected HCCs and 45 non-neoplastic tissues from the surrounding parenchyma by flow cytometry. Aneuploid was detected in 18 cases(29.0%) in HCCs and 2 cases(4.4%) in nonneoplastic hepatic parenchyma(p<0.005). Correlations between the DNA ploidy pattern and various clinicopathologic findings of HCCs were analized. The mean tumor size was significantly different(p<0.05) between the aneuploid group(8.8 cm) and the diploid group(6.1 cm). Mean age of the aneuploid group was younger(47 year) than the diploid group(51 years), but the difference was not statistically significant(p=0.052). The DNA pattern did not show any meaningful correlation with the gross and microscopic features of HCC except for the presence of capsule. These results suggest that DNA ploidy correlates with growth rate of the tumor and it may be a possibly useful prognostic factor in HCCs.