title: DNA content and PCNA immunoreactivity in oral precancerous and cancerous lesions.
abstract: Thirty-three dysplastic lesions showing varying degrees of atypia located in the oral cavity and 83 squamous cell carcinomas located in the oral cavity and tongue (n = 56) or in the lips (n = 27) were analysed by means of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunoreactivity and image cytometric DNA measurements. The results show that in dysplastic lesions increasing cellular atypia correlated to elevated proliferative activity and aneuploidy occurring in the basal cell layers. In highly differentiated squamous carcinomas increased PCNA immunoreactivity and aneuploidy was preferentially observed focally (grade 1 tumours) or in the invasive zones (grade 2 tumours). In contrast, more poorly differentiated carcinomas (grade 3 and 4 tumours) showed strongly elevated proliferative activity and aneuploidy throughout the entire tumour mass.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Stuhrsallee 29, D-2390 Flensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Steinbeck
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moege
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Heselmeyer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Klebe
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Neugebauer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Borg
authors.forename: G U
authors.initials: GU
authors.lastname: Auer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019044:Image Cytometry; D007118:Immunoassay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen