[Flow cytometry of DNA in research on kidney tumors]

The DNA content was studied in 22 patients (including 10 children) with renal tumours. Renal clear cell carcinomas were mainly diploid (5 of 6 cases); one clear cell and other variants of renal cell carcinoma were aneuploid. There was a correlation between the degree of tumour cell anaplasia and ploidy of renal cell carcinomas: all diploid carcinomas were of I and II degree of anaplasia, aneuploid carcinomas, except one case, were of degree III of anaplasia. 5 out of 9 nephroblastomas were diploid, 4, aneuploid. The distinctive features of nephroblastoma were pronounced proliferative activity of tumour cells and a low DNA index of the aneuploid cell line which in all cases was localized in the vicinity of the diploid region. The remaining tumours (papillary epithelial nephroma, juxtaglomerular cell tumour and malignant schwannoma) were diploid with a relatively low proliferative activity of tumour cells.