[Simultaneous cytofluorometric studies on DNA and protein in endometrial adenocarcinoma--with reference to gestagen...

In this study, the nuclear DNA and cellular protein in endometrial cancer cells were simultaneously determined by combined DNA-protein cytofluorometry (Olympus MMSP-RF) using a double staining method. Thirty-one cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma treated preoperatively with medroxyprogesterone-acetate were investigated for cytomorphological responses with special reference to DNA and protein content. The result of this study showed increases in DNA and protein over the normal range in all the cases of endometrial carcinoma. Gestagen produced a marked histological effect in 9 cases of well differentiated carcinoma and 2 cases of moderately differentiated carcinoma out of the 31 cases. On the other hand, no effect was found in cases of poorly differentiated carcinoma. Gestagen treatment induced changes in DNA and protein content according to morphological changes in cases of marked histological response. The population of over 4C or 4P cells on the DNA-protein histogram before gestagen treatment was 45.1% in cases of marked morphological response and 69.2% in cases of no response. This finding suggests a correlation between the effectiveness of gestagen treatment and the DNA-protein histogram. Estimation of such a cell population before gestagen administration is considered useful in gestagen therapy for endometrial adenocarcinoma.