Ag-NORs related to flow cytometry, morphometry and prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer.
The number of silver stained nucleolar organiser regions (Ag-NORs) was enumerated in the biopsy specimens of 73 patients with human pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The number of Ag-NORs was related to histological features, S-phase fraction (SPF), DNA ploidy, morphometric nuclear features, clinical stage and survival. Grade I tumours had on average fewer Ag-NORs (mean +/- SD, 5.2 +/- 2.0) than grade II (mean +/- SD, 5.9 +/- 1.6) or grade III (mean +/- SD, 6.6 +/- 2.6) tumours. Patients with low SPF (0-7%) values had lower mean Ag-NORs counts (5.7 +/- 1.0) than patients with a high SPF (7%) (6.6 +/- 2.0) (p = 0.05) and the number of Ag-NORs was related almost significantly to mitotic index (p = 0.09). The Ag-NORs were not related significantly to DNA ploidy or to clinical stage. In survival analysis the number of Ag-NORs predicted prognosis significantly (p = 0.03). From the results we conclude that Ag-NORs are related to several malignant features in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma and that the number of Ag-NORs predicts survival.
Mäkinen
K
K
Department of Surgery, University of Kuopio, Finland.
Eskelinen
M
M
Lipponen
P
P
Nuutinen
P
P
Marin
S
S
Alhava
E
E
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D016196:S Phase / Q000502:physiology; D016622:Silver Staining
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm