Flow cytometric detection of aneuploidy in colorectal adenomas.
Flow cytometry has been used to study the incidence of aneuploidy in a series of 55 colorectal adenomas (29 tubular adenomas, 22 tubulovillous adenomas, and 4 villous adenomas). For comparison, 5 nonadenomatous polyps, 4 normal mucosa samples from colectomy specimens and 16 colorectal cancers were measured. Fifteen (27%) adenomas were aneuploid, 33 (63%) were diploid, and 7 (11%) were peridiploid. The aneuploidy incidence increased with the size of the adenomas (less than 1 cm, 0%; 1 to 2 cm, 30%; greater than 2 cm, 50% aneuploid cases, respectively) but was less dependent on the histological type or degree of dysplasia. However, the degree of aneuploidy [mean DNA index of aneuploid stem lines] was significantly higher in tubulovillous adenomas [1.26 +/- 0.33 (SD)] than in tubular adenomas [1.09 +/- 0.04] and only slightly lower than in carcinomas [1.59 +/- 0.26]. The progressive increase in ploidy abnormality with size and histological type strongly supports the evidence for the adenoma-carcinoma sequence in the development of colorectal cancer.
D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000782:Aneuploidy; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012737:Sex Factors