Single-parameter DNA flow cytometric analysis of normal-appearing colonic mucosa does not predict the presence of colonic neoplasia.
We wished to determine whether DNA flow cytometric analysis could detect DNA abnormalities in normal-appearing mucosa of patients with colonic neoplasia. Eighty-five patients were studied either at colonoscopy or at surgical resection. Forty-five had macroscopically normal colonoscopy; 13 had adenomatous polyps, and 27 had colorectal carcinoma. Biopsies were obtained from the cancer and from normal-appearing mucosa 5 cm from the lesion. The patients who had normal colonoscopy had rectal biopsies. The samples were prepared for analysis on a Coulter EPICS C flow cytometer. Cells were analyzed for presence of aneuploidy (%AN), percent in DNA synthetic phase (%S), and percent growth fraction (%GF = %S + %G2M). Aneuploidy was present in 12 of 27 carcinomas (44%), but in none of the samples from polyps or normal-appearing colorectal mucosa adjacent to cancers. The %S from cancers was greater than those from polyps (9.6 +/- 6.3 vs. 5.1 +/- 1.8, p less than 0.005). However, %S from specimens arising from normal-appearing mucosa 5 cm distant from cancer could not be differentiated from the rectal mucosa of macroscopically normal colons (5.9 +/- 2.5 vs. 5.2 +/- 2.7). The %GF of cancer specimens was greater than those from adenomas (26.0 +/- 11.0 vs. 10.8 +/- 3.7, p less than 0.005). However, the %GF of normal-appearing mucosa 5 cm distant from the cancer was similar to the findings from mucosa arising from macroscopically normal colons (10.5 +/- 3.3 vs. 11.0 +/- 3.4). In conclusion, DNA flow cytometric analysis of normal-appearing colonic mucosa from patients with colonic carcinoma does not demonstrate abnormalities of DNA content or cell cycle kinetics, and therefore, cannot predict the presence of colonic neoplasia.
Department of Medicine, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC.
E
E
Nsien
W M
WM
Steinberg
D S
DS
Wilkinson
J G
JG
Rhame
J P
JP
Henry
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000782:Aneuploidy; D001706:Biopsy; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm