[Correlation of flow and static cytometry; their application to the study of anaplastic lymphomas]

DNA study by cytometric methods is one of the prognosis factors considered in malignant tumours. Flow cytometry (FCM) was the most frequently used techniques in cell suspensions. Image cytometry (ICM) was also applied in cellular smears and it is possible to measure the results with an Image Analyzer, which supposes a substancial advantage over DNA studies. To confirm the results and correlation of the two techniques a controversial subtype of lymphoid tumour was selected: Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL).

Fifty four cases of ALCL (23 classical type and 31 ACL-Hodgkin related) were studied. Cytometry was performed in paraffin-embedded tissues previously dewaxed, rehydrated and minced. FCM was done in suspensions incubated with ribonuclease A and stained with propidium iodide in an EPICS-C flow cytometer. ICM study was performed in Feulgen-stained smears and measured by an Image Analyzer CAS-200.

All cases were aneuploid. ALCL were 30.5% hypodiploid (HpD) and 69.5% hyperdiploid (HrD) by FCM; 43.5% HpD and 56.5% HrD by ICM. ALCL-HR were 58% HpD and 42% HrD by FCM; 68% HpD and 32% HrD by ICM. There was a lack of correlation of 22% between both methods but it was not statistically significant.

We can conclude the obtained results by FCM and ICM are almost similar.