Increased number of cancer cells in bronchial washing fluid detected by combining conventional cytology and high-resolution flow cytometry.
The present study was performed to improve early lung cancer diagnosis in bronchial washing fluid, thereby increasing the diagnostic sensitivity of bronchoscopy by means of high-resolution flow cytometry (FC). We combined dual-parameter DNA/protein FC and conventional cytology in bronchial washing fluid samples from 112 patients with neoplastic and non-neoplastic lung diseases and found 43% of histologically confirmed tumor cases to be cytologically positive; 63% of the tumor samples were aneuploid, 52% of the aneuploid cases were cytologically positive and 48% were negative. In the negative cases, FC was an independent diagnostic factor. In 32% of the cases, FC also failed to detect abnormalities. However, the combination of both techniques increased the sensitivity in detecting neoplastic cells to 73%. Furthermore, simultaneous DNA/protein analysis allowed the recognition of aneuploid cell lines not detectable by single DNA measurement. Identification of aneuploid subpopulations by dual-parameter analysis in cytologically negative one-parameter FC "diploid" samples assumes an important diagnostic value. Dual-parameter DNA/protein FC is a valuable technique that increases the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy with no risk for the patient and a low additional cost.
Cicconetti
F
F
Clinic of Surgery, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy.
Teodori
L
L
Persiani
M
M
Di Tondo
U
U
Alò
P
P
Marci
A
A
Brun
S
S
Göhde
W
W
D000782:Aneuploidy; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins