Image cytometry of hepatocellular carcinoma: comparison with alcoholic cirrhosis and normal liver

Image cytometry can provide valuable information for the prognosis of patients with malignant tumours. This study was performed on three cell populations: hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 30), alcoholic cirrhosis (n = 12) and normal liver (n = 2). The results showed that hepatocellular carcinoma cell populations contained more hyperploid and aneuploid cells than cirrhosis and normal liver cell populations; two groups of hepatocellular carcinoma were separated, called A and B. The values of group A cytometric parameters were close to those of cirrhosis whereas group B nuclei had a much higher DNA content and were more often hyperploid or aneuploid. These two groups were also different according to biological (alpha-foetoprotein) or clinical (survival time) variables. Since group A seemed to be made up of patients with better prognosis than group B, cytometric analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma could be a tool for prognosis and clinical management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.