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Morphometric analysis of AgNORs in thin-layer, liquid-based liver specimens.
Ekaterini N Politi1, Andreas C Lazaris, Despina Alexopoulou
1Department of Cytopathology, Aretaieion Hospital, Athens, Greece. cytology@aretaieio.uoa.gr
Analytical and Quantitative Cytology and Histology
|October 2, 2004
Summary
Quantitative analysis of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) in ThinPrep liver fine needle aspiration specimens can help diagnose hepatic lesions. Higher AgNOR counts in nuclei indicate a decreased probability of metastatic adenocarcinoma.
Area of Science:
- Cytopathology
- Oncology
- Histopathology
Background:
- Liver lesions require accurate diagnosis for effective treatment.
- ThinPrep liquid-based cytology offers advantages for specimen preparation.
- Argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) are indicators of cellular proliferation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of quantitative AgNOR analysis in ThinPrep liver fine needle aspiration (FNA) specimens.
- To differentiate between benign and malignant hepatic lesions, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and metastatic adenocarcinoma (MC).
Main Methods:
- ThinPrep liver FNA specimens from 49 patients were analyzed.
- AgNOR staining was performed using a 1-step colloid method.
- Morphometric analysis of AgNORs per nucleus (NN) and AgNOR area per nucleus (AR) was conducted using image analysis software.
Main Results:
- NN significantly differed among benign, HCC, and MC groups (P < .0001).
- NN values were significantly different between HCC and MC (P < .0001).
- AR values differed significantly between benign and malignant specimens (P = .00006) but not between HCC and MC (P = .933).
Conclusions:
- Quantitative AgNOR analysis in ThinPrep liver FNA specimens is a valuable diagnostic tool.
- AgNOR counts can aid in distinguishing between different types of hepatic lesions.