Methods for single- and double-target in situ hybridization (ISH) to, cells isolated from solid transitional cell carcinomas (TCC's) of the urinary bladder are described. Single cell suspensions were prepared from solid tumors of the urinary bladder by mechanical disaggregation and fixed in 70% ethanol. Using two DNA probes specific for the centromeres of chromosomes #1 and #18, ISH procedures were optimized for these samples. Human lymphocytes and cells from the T24 bladder tumor cell line were used as controls. In lymphocyte nuclei and metaphase chromosome spreads, ISH showed two major spots for each of the probes. About 80% of the nuclei from T24 cells showed three spots for both the chromosome #1 and #18 specific probes. When nuclei from TCC's were analyzed, often the number of spots for chromosome #1, and to a lesser extent for chromosome #18, differed from the number expected on basis of flow cytometric ploidy measurements. The double target-ISH method in all cases allowed the correlation of numerical aberrations for chromosomes #1 and #18 in one and the same cell. By such analyses a profound heterogeneity in chromosome number was detected in most tumors. In order to optimize the reproducibility of the method and the interpretation of the ISH-signals, criteria for their analysis have been determined. This procedure can now be applied on a routine basis to solid tumor specimens.

from the tissue-culture flasks with 0.05% trypsin, 0.02% EDTA, and 0.1% glucose in PBS for 2 min at 37°C. Electron microscopyCell suspensions were fixed for 10 min at room temperature in 2% glutaraldehyde in PBS. After rinsing with PBS, the cell pellet was resuspended at 37°C in 10% gelatin solution and centrifuged for 4 min at 4300 g. After solidifying of the gelatin, cells were post-fixed in 1% OsO, in Palade buffer, PH-7.3, dehydrated in ethanol, treated with propylene oxide and embedded in epoxy resin. Ultra-thin sections were obtained, stained with uranylacetate solution, and examined using a Philips 200 electron microscope. Immunocytochemistry and monoclonal antibodiesCultures of MV3 cells were detached from culture flasks. Cell suspensions were washed 3 times with PBS containing 3% MATERIAL AND METHODS Clinical and pathological dataA 76-year-old male patient suffered from a primary cutaneous amelanotic malignant melanoma of the chin region (nod-3To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed, at

The combined application of DNA cytometric and interphase cytogenetic analyses was used to find objective criteria for the differential diagnosis of complete hydatidiform mole, partial hydatidiform mole and hydropic abortion. DNA ploidy and G0/G1 exceeding rates were determined using image and flow cytometric analyses on paraffin-embedded tissues of 166 cases: 71 cases of complete mole, 20 cases of partial mole, and 75 cases of abortions. To determine the existence and histological distribution of cell subpopulations with numerical chromosome aberrations, interphase cytogenetic analysis using probes specific for chromosomes 1, X, and Y was applied to paraffin tissue sections of 23 cases: 12 cases of complete mole, 3 cases of partial mole, and 8 cases of abortions. In contrast to previously reported findings that complete moles are diploid, the results of this study showed that complete moles are DNA-polyploid (96 per cent), with high G0/G1 exceeding rates and a high frequency of numerical chromosomal aberrations in the trophoblast hyperplasia. The majority of the partial moles were DNA-triploid (55 per cent). This study, however, also showed the presence of DNA-polyploid partial moles (30 per cent). Abortions were DNA-diploid (60 per cent) or DNA-triploid (39 per cent). DNA cytometric analysis, especially image DNA cytometric analysis with determination of the G0/G1 exceeding rate, and interphase cytogenetic analysis provide objective measurements which are contributory in the differential diagnosis between complete mole, partial mole, and hydropic abortion.

This study presents the results of cytophotometric (CPM) and flow cytometric (FCM) DNA ploidy measurements in cervical intraepithelial neoplasias grade III (CIN III) with and without synchronous invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Hysterectomy and biopsy material from 21 patients 35 years of age or younger and from 18 patients age 50 years or older was studied. The DNA analysis was performed in nuclei isolated from specific areas of paraffin-embedded tissue. There were significant differences in the distribution of DNA patterns between the two age groups. About 80% of CIN III lesions in women 50 years of age or older, with or without a coexisting invasive cancer were aneuploid. In the group of younger women a diploid DNA pattern was found in about 60% of CIN III with concomitant invasive cancer. In the absence of an invasive cancer, CIN III lesions were mostly polyploid. The DNA pattern of invasive cancers was generally identical with the adjacent CIN, thus suggesting that the two lesions were related. Although the prognostic value of DNA ploidy measurements in cervical intraepithelial lesions in women in these two age groups has to be further evaluated, these results are at considerable variance with previously published data on DNA values in CIN and invasive carcinoma. In four CIN III lesions without invasive cancer, in women of the group of 35 years of age or younger, human papilloma virus common antigen could be demonstrated by immunochemical procedure. In three of these cases a polyploid DNA pattern was present; the fourth case showed a bimodal aneuploid pattern.

In interphase cells the proliferation-associated antigen recognized by monoclonal antibody Ki-67 is almost exclusively located in the nucleoli. When cells at several stages of mitosis were examined for the localization of the Ki-67 antigen, a striking redistribution could be observed. During prophase the distinct nucleolar Ki-67 fluorescence changed to a bright irregular meshwork throughout the nucleoplasm. At metaphase the antigen appeared to be distributed in a reticulate structure surrounding the condensed chromosomes, while at late telophase a punctated staining of the entire nucleoplasm was observed, which preceded the typical nucleolar localization pattern in each of the two daughter cells. Immunolabelling with Ki-67 of metaphase chromosome spreads revealed a circumferential staining of the individual chromosomes. The Ki-67 antigen is preserved in nuclear matrix preparations obtained after in situ fractionation of interphase cells. When mitotic cells were exposed to such treatments, the obtained fluorescence data suggested that the antigen may be part of the chromosome scaffold. Quantification of the Ki-67 fluorescence signal using flow cytometry revealed the highest staining intensities in mitotic cells. Furthermore, it was shown that nutritionally deprived cells became negative for Ki-67.