Flow cytometric analysis of the nuclear DNA content of hepatoblastoma

Abstract

The nuclear DNA content of 15 hepatoblastoma cases was determined in paraffin‐embedded tissues by flow cytometry. The DNA index (DI) was calculated, and the ploidy pattern of nuclear DNA was estimated. The correlation between the ploidy pattern and clinicopathologic findings was studied, and the prognostic significance of the ploidy pattern was investigated. An aneuploid pattern was seen in 50% of the lesions with histologic embryonal and anaplastic types. It was not seen in the fetal type. In the tumors with combined epithelial components, the fetal‐type component had a diploid pattern in all five cases. The embryonal‐type component was associated with aneuploidy in two of five cases. In aneuploid tumors, vascular invasion (tumor emboli in the vessels) was observed more frequently. The prognosis of the patients with an aneuploid tumor was significantly poorer. These results indicate that nuclear DNA ploidy pattern analysis might be useful in investigating the prognosis of hepatoblastoma. Cancer 68:2566–2570, 1991.

Hepatoblastoma in a low‐birthweight infant complicated with cleft palate, Dandy−Walker malformation and chronic lung disease

“…Complete tumor resection and well differentiated histology are related to a better 2‐year survival result. The nuclear diploid DNA pattern of the tumor cells also correlate with a good 5‐year survival rate 3 . These findings are consistent with the good prognosis in our case.…”

“…The histopathological subtype was diagnosed as a well differentiated type (macrotrabecular pattern). Flow cytometric analysis of the nuclear DNA of the tumor was carried out as previously described and classified as a diploid pattern 3 . The AFP level in the blood was normalized after two additional courses of chemotherapy.…”

DNA ploidy and proliferative activity (S-phase) in childhood soft-tissue sarcomas: their value as prognostic indicators

“…n ju -mm., mj m recognised that in subgroups of ALL (Look et al, 1985) and neuroblastoma (Look et al, 1984;Huddart et al, 1992), hyperdiploid tumour stem lines seem to favour prognosis compared with their diploid or tetraploid counterparts, whereas this prognostic feature seems to be reversed in Wilms' tumour and most adult tumours (Douglass et al, 1986;Schmidt et al, 1986;Merkel et al, 1987;Barrantes et al, 1993). Data from other tumours such as medulloblastoma and hepatoblastoma are conflicting (Yasue et al, 1989;Hata et al, 1991;Zerbini et al, 1993). There are only a few reports on the prognostic implication of DNA content in childhood STS and the results are not consistent (Boyle et al, 1988;Molenaar et al, 1988;Kowal-Vern et al, 1990;Leuschner et al, 1991;Shapiro et al, 1991;Dias et al, 1992).…”

Expression profiling and differential screening between hepatoblastomas and the corresponding normal livers: identification of high expression of the PLK1 oncogene as a poor-prognostic indicator of hepatoblastomas

“…However, the prognosis of a significant fraction of the tumors still remains poor. The clinical markers currently used for HBL include staging, which is a major instrument for assessing prognosis (Hata, 1990), serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (Mann et al, 1978), mitotic activity (Haas et al, 1989), DNA ploidy (Hata et al, 1991), nuclear localization of b-catenin (Park et al, 2001), p53 mutation (Oda et al, 1995), and chromosomal alteration (Weber et al, 2000). Serum AFP level is used as a diagnostic marker to monitor the tumor progression, responsiveness to the therapy, and recurrence after the treatment.…”