title: Nucleoli and AgNOR proteins in 32 cases of primary breast carcinoma. Spatial pattern of interactions between 50 clinical and histometric criteria.
abstract: The purpose of this paper is to analyze a method allowing selection of the best morphometric criterion for quantifying AgNOR proteins under conventional observation conditions by light microscopy. We determined 50 parameters for 32 cases of primary breast carcinoma. For each case, three 100-nucleus samples (tumor center and periphery on a Giemsa-stained, 3-microns tumor section, periphery on a silver-stained section) were quantified. Distribution-free multidimensional data analysis was used to explore the geometric significance of the coefficient of correlation. This analysis revealed a clinical message linked with the largest "nucleolar structure" (nucleolus or AgNOR clump) per nucleus on the tumor periphery. Tumor recurrence or death correlated only with the coefficient of variation of the "nucleolar/nuclear" ratio of the greatest clump of AgNORs per nucleus periphery (CVRSa). The prognostic value of CVRSa is independent of that of conventional criteria, such as age, tumor size, Scarff-Bloom-Richardson grading and lymph node status. The largest AgNOR clump per nucleus may prove to be a further practical prognostic predictor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lesty
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chleq
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Contesso
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacquillat
mesh_terms: D001699:Biometry; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D016622:Silver Staining