Heterogeneity of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma probed by nucleic acid cytometry.
Flow cytometric analyses of cellular DNA, RNA, and double-stranded RNA content were performed on lymph nodes and extranodal tissue from 177 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. With increasing histologic grade, a higher incidence of aneuploidy, higher proliferative activity, and higher total and double-stranded RNA content were found. Despite considerable cytometric heterogeneity within histologic grades and morphologic subdivisions, conformity between cytometric and morphologic classifications was observed in 85% of cases. Among intermediate-grade and high-grade lymphomas, increased proliferative activity and diploidy were associated with more frequent responses to treatment. Thus, nucleic acid-derived parameters relate to morphologic subtypes and permit an objective approach to lymphoma classification based on ploidy, proliferation, and RNA characteristics that also had prognostic implications.
D000782:Aneuploidy; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000032:analysis; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000032:analysis; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm