DNA ploidy and morphometric features of normal, hyperplastic, premalignant and malignant specimens: an evaluation

To evaluate nuclear DNA assessments and morphometric variables on various breast cytologic smears and paraffin-embedded tissue sections of human breast and gastric lesions.

Using the "plug or gore" method of Swift and Rasch for absorption cytophotometry with standard optical conditions on the Opton-MPM 01 cytophotometer as well as a graduated eyepiece micrometer on an Amplival microscope, cytologic smears from 33 women and tissue sections from 36 women with breast lesions and 150 patients with various gastric processes were quantitatively evaluated after measurement of nuclear DNA content amounts and morphometric variables.

Normal-fitting distributions were found in the diploid-tetraploid regions of the cell cycle. Single cells possessed nuclear DNA content values in the hypodiploid region. Hyperplastic processes--i.e., fibrocystic disease and chronic atrophic (hypertrophic) gastritis--as well as benign tumors (breast fibroadenomas and gastric adenomas) showed abnormally high DNA content: aneuploidy with values in the pentaploid (5C) to octaploid and hyperoctaploid regions. Carcinomas with different origin had DNA values up to 10-16C. We also noted increasing morphometric data in the pathway from normality to cancer.

Patients with hyperplastic processes who have abnormally high DNA content assessments with aneuploid cell populations and increased morphometric measures have to be very carefully and precisely evaluated. Moreover, these lesions are potentially malignant, with a high risk of cancer development in the future.