Quantitative-analysis of silver staining nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) in human tongue carcinoma cell-lines

Six morphometric parameters related to nuclear size, number of AgNORs, and area of AgNORs in two tongue carcinoma cell lines were analyzed by an image analyzing system. It was discovered that AgNOR numbers, the area of all AgNORs in the nucleus, the ratio of mean area and size, and nuclear size are the parameters demonstrating the most consistent pattern of change against passage numbers in T1 and T2 human tongue carcinoma cells. These changes may be related to 'dedifferentiation' of tumor cells in prolonged culture.