title: Distinctive chromosomal instability patterns in oral verrucous and squamous cell carcinomas detected by high-resolution DNA flow cytometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral verrucous carcinomas (OVCs) are characterized by better prognosis than oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). Because chromosomal instability (CIN) in solid tumors is indicative of prognosis, this study investigated whether OVCs and OSCCs were characterized by differences in CIN biomarkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fresh or frozen multiple tissue samples were submitted to high-resolution DNA flow cytometry (hr DNA-FCM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  DNA aneuploid sublines were detected in 6 of 9 OVCs (66.7%) and in 20 of 25 OSCCs (80.0%). Multiple DNA aneuploid sublines were observed, respectively, in 2 of 6 (33.3%) DNA aneuploid OVCs and in 14 of 20 (70%) DNA aneuploid OSCCs (P = .163). OVCs were mainly characterized by DNA Index (DI) values in the near-diploid region (DI≠1 and DI < 1.4), whereas aneuploid OSCCs carried most frequently multiple aneuploid sublines with high DI values (DI ≥ 1.4). DNA near-diploid and high aneuploid sublines were, respectively, 87.5% and 12.5% for the OVCs versus 30% and 70% for the OSCCs (P = .004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Present data suggest that OVCs are characterized by a lower degree of CIN and tumor heterogeneity than OSCCs, such that they appear as "frozen" in an early stage of DNA near-diploid aneuploidy, as previously observed for oral preneoplastic lesions. These DI characteristics, which can easily be obtained by hr DNA-FCM, appear to reflect the well-known differences in aggressiveness and prognosis of OVCs and OSCCs.
authors: Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, Oral Medicine and Oral Oncology Section, University of Turin, Italy. monica.pentenero@unito.it
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Pentenero
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Donadini
authors: Emanuela
authors: E
authors: Di Nallo
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Maffei
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Marino
authors: Ubaldo
authors: U
authors: Familiari
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Broccoletti
authors: Patrizio
authors: P
authors: Castagnola
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Gandolfo
authors: Walter
authors: W
authors: Giaretti