DNA/nuclear protein content in the evaluation of cell cycle modifications during colon carcinogenesis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the colorectal adenomacarcinoma sequence by biparametric DNA/nuclear protein flow cytometry with the aim of evaluating cell cycle modifications during carcinogenesis.


METHODS
Paraffin-embedded specimens of 27 adenomas with mild/moderate dysplasia, 20 adenomas with severe dysplasia/intramucosal adenocarcinomas, 28 adenocarcinomas and 14 normal colon mucosa specimens were analyzed by biparametric DNA/nuclear protein content flow cytometric analysis in order to evaluate cell cycle modifications during colorectal carcinogenesis.


RESULTS
The mean G0-G1A fraction of the cell cycle was 50.6% (SD +/- 17.2), 25.7% (SD +/- 15.1), 27.8% (SD +/- 11.7) and 29% (SD +/- 13.8) for normal mucosa, adenomas with mild/moderate dysplasia, adenomas with severe dysplasia and adenocarcinomas, respectively. The difference between normal mucosa and the other groups was statistically significant (P < .05), while no significant differences were detectable between adenomas with different degrees of dysplasia and adenocarcinomas.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show a decrease in G0-G1A in adenomas with mild/moderate dysplasia, suggesting that modification of the cell cycle may represent an early step in colon carcinogenesis, and they support the hypothesis that disregulation of cell cycle-controlling genes is an early event in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence.
Tripodi
S A
SA
Institute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology, University of Siena, Italy.
Minacci
C
C
Amato
T
T
Mangiavacchi
P
P
Perrone
A
A
Luzi
P
P
Tosi
P
P
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000782:Aneuploidy; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D004171:Diploidy; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016193:G1 Phase; D016195:G2 Phase; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008938:Mitosis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016192:Resting Phase, Cell Cycle
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D004247:DNA