title: DNA ploidy of ectopic pregnancy and first trimester spontaneous abortion investigated by flow cytometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To compare the success rate of DNA flow cytometry in determining the DNA ploidy status in ectopic pregnancy and first trimester spontaneous abortion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen women with ectopic pregnancy (Group I) and 17 women with first trimester spontaneous abortion (Group II) were included into this study. DNA flow cytometric analysis was performed on all specimens. Aneuploidy was classified according to DNA index. The first trimester spontaneous abortions were also karyotyped after long-term culture of chronic villi. Student-t test and Fisher's exact test were used in statistical comparisons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DNA aneuploidy was found in five women with ectopic pregnancy (38.5%) versus in 12 women with first trimester spontaneous abortion (70.6%), and it was comparable. A triploidy and a tetraploidy were detected in group I. Six tubal ectopic pregnancies were unruptured at laparatomy and four of them had aneuploid DNA content.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believed that DNA flow cytometry was successful in determining the ploidy status of ectopic pregnancy and first trimester spontaneous abortion. In addition, it was interesting that ectopic pregnancies with aneuploid DNA content tended to be unruptured. However, this suggestion needs to be confirmed by further studies with larger numbers of cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cerrahpaşa School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Turkey.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Erel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaleli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oral
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Engür
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Calay
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aydinli
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D000782:Aneuploidy; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D011003:Ploidies; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA