title: [The quantitative study of nucleolar organizers (AgNOR) in the diagnosis of laryngeal dysplasias and in the assessment of the prognosis in invasive carcinoma].
abstract: Nucleolar organiser regions (AgNOR) are chromosomal segments in which ribosomal RNA is codified. These structures can be identified in the nuclei of cells in routine histological sections using a silver staining technique which reveals the proteins associated with transcription RNA. The number of AgNOR identified depends on the state of cell proliferation. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the distribution of AgNOR in normal laryngeal mucosa, dysplastic and neoplastic, in order to establish a possible correlation with the degree of dysplasia and/or the entity of the malignant lesions. Ten slides each of specimens of laryngeal carcinoma, serious dysplasia and middle dysplasia were prepared with the silver staining technique. A count of the NOR in the basal, parabasal, intermediate and superficial levels was made. Findings show an increase in the average value of NOR proceeding from normal tissue to carcinoma in situ and malignant carcinomas. The number of AgNOR was lower always than that observed in the parabasal level. In the intermediate cell section the number of AgNOR was inferior to that in the parabasal level in normal tissue as well as in middle dysplasia, while it remained high in serious dysplasia and in carcinomas, thus indicating a great deal of biological activity in these cases. This method can be employed in order to better individualize those dysplastic lesions which, because of their tendency towards malignancy, must be kept under observation by means of an extremely accurate follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Divisione ORL, Ospedale Maggiore di Lodi.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malusardi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oldini
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Leopardi
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007820:Laryngeal Mucosa / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D016622:Silver Staining
vernacular_title: Studio quantitativo degli organizzatori nucleolari (AgNOR) nella diagnosi delle displasie laringee e nella valutazione della prognosi del carcinoma invasivo.