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DNA index 01) measurements and chromosomal analysis of 42 transitional cell carcinomas were done after mechanical and enzymatical disaggregation of the tumor specimens. The results obtained with these different disaggregation techniques were compared in the 33 cases (79%) that showed recognizable chromosomes. The enzymatically obtained cell suspensions could not be used for chromosomal analysis after shortterm culture of 24 hours. In four cases, the DI after enzymatical treatment could not be estimated. In most cases, the DI obtained from the tumor cells was similar for both aggregation techniques, with the exception of four cases of enzymatically treated cell suspensions in which the DI could not be estimated. The average DI of the aneuploid tumors was 13% higher than the corresponding chromosome count.In 19% of the aneuploid tumors the proportion of aneuploid cells could not be measured after enzymatical treatment. In the remaining suspensions the proportion of diploid cells was higher after enzymatical disaggregation than after mechanical treatment. It is concluded that for flow cytometric and direct chromosomal analysis of bladder tumors, the mechanical disaggregation technique is most suitable.

Thirty-seven transitional-cell carcinomas (TCC) of the urinary bladder were analyzed by DNA flow cytometry (FCM). After labelling of the cell suspensions with antibodies to cytokeratin, the cytokeratin-positive cells and the non-epithelial cytokeratin-negative cells could be analyzed separately. After estimation of S- and G2M phase, 3/17 cases (18%) with a normal DNA index showed elevated proliferative levels, among cytokeratin-labelled suspensions only. Of these 17 cases, 14 showed chromosomal abnormalities. The remaining 20 cases were abnormal, irrespective of the technique used. Although immuno-labeling of tumor cells for cytokeratin in FCM increases the sensitivity of this method in detecting aneuploid tumors or tumors with high proliferation fractions, the discriminating power of chromosomal analysis of TCC is greater than FCM.

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