The relationship of flow cytometric DNA analysis and clinicopathology in small-intestinal carcinoids

Paraffin-embedded archival tissue samples were used for nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content study by flow cytometry on 56 surgically resected, primary, small-intestinal carcinoid tumors. Sample preparation was carried out using the methods of Hedley and Vindelov. To reduce nuclear aggregation, a procedure of sonication was also performed. Nineteen (34%) cases were DNA diploid, 34 (61%) cases showed significantly increased 4C peak (DNA tetraploid), and only three (5%) cases were DNA aneuploid. Cell cycle phase analysis revealed that carcinoid tumors had significantly higher G2% than those of nontumor control tumors. However, there was no significant correlation between clinical parameters and both DNA ploidy pattern and cell cycle phase analysis. Although the difference in survival between patients with DNA nondiploid tumors and DNA diploid tumors was not significant, all of the patients with DNA aneuploid tumor had poor prognosis followed by death from carcinoid tumor.