The clinical relevance of ploidy and S-phase fraction determination in salivary gland tumors: A flow cytometric study of 97 cases

Abstract

BACKGROUND The authors studied a series of 97 consecutive cases of salivary gland tumors to investigate the correlation between the biologic parameters DNA ploidy and S‐phase fraction (SPF) and the presumptive behavior of the neoplasms, as well as their potential clinical utility. METHODS Histopathologic classification and grading of the tumors were evaluated according to 1991 World Health Organization criteria. DNA analysis was performed by flow cytometry in fresh material after propidium iodide staining. Clinical data and follow‐up information were obtained from the clinical charts. RESULTS All the 71 benign salivary tumors showed a DNA diploid pattern. Seven carcinomas (7.2%) exhibited DNA aneuploidy. Eleven (42.3%) of 26 malignant tumors were considered low grade carcinomas, all of them being DNA diploid. Of the remaining 15 tumors, classified as high grade carcinomas, 7 showed DNA aneuploidy. SPF values ranged from 0.6% to 27.7%. A statistically significant difference was found between the mean SPF values of benign and malignant tumors, diploid and aneuploid tumors, and low grade and high grade carcinomas. When a cutoff value of 3% was used to discriminate histopathologic subgroups with prognostic impact, a significant difference was found between benign and malignant salivary tumors, high grade and low grade carcinomas, and high grade and benign tumors (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The data from this study confirm the low incidence of DNA aneuploidy in salivary gland tumors and suggest the potential utility of SPF estimation in evaluating the clinical behavior of these neoplasms. Cancer 1999;85:273–81. © 1999 American Cancer Society.

DNA aneuploidy as a topographic malignant transformation pattern in a pleomorphic adenoma of long-term evolution: a case report

“…DNA ploidy analysis has proven to be a useful prognostic indicator in a variety of salivary gland neoplasms. Abnormal DNA content has been related to aggressive behavior in adenoid cystic carcinomas, acinic cell carcinomas, mucoepidermoid carcinomas and oncocytomas [8,9]. Otherwise, most likely due to the low incidence of malignant salivary gland tumors, only a few attempts have been made to employ DNA ploidy analysis for diagnostic assessment [10,15].…”

DNA-Ploidie und proliferative Aktivität bei Speicheldrüsentumoren

“…Die Sensitivität für den Nachweis aneuploider Zellpopulationen ist bei dieser Technik jedoch stark eingeschränkt, für eine Zellzyklusanalyse ist sie kaum geeignet [29]. Nur wenige Studien beruhen auf Untersuchungen an frischen Gewebeproben [38,43].…”

“…Dies steht im Einklang mit anderen durchflusszytophotometrischen Untersuchungen [38,40]. Allerdings berichten einige Studien von gelegentlichem Auftreten aneuploider pleomorpher Adenome [1,6,7], so dass die Entwicklung aneuploider Karyotypen bei diesen Tumoren nicht grundsätzlich ausgeschlossen werden kann.…”

“…Aneuploidie ist ein weitverbreitetes Kennzeichen dieser histologisch und zytologisch vielgestaltigen Malignome wie sowohl aus zytogenetischen Untersuchungen [36,37] als auch aus zytometrischen DNA-Analysen hervorgeht [4,33,34,38]. Tatsächlich wurde bei drei Karzinomen im pleomorphen Adenom der vorliegenden Untersuchung eine eindeutige Diagnose erst nach einer durch einen aneuploiden Befund veranlassten intensiven Begutachtung konsekutiver Schnittebenen gestellt.…”

The effect of heparin on the cell cycle in human B-lymphoblasts: An in vitro study

“…The SPF has been studied in different malignancies including ALL for the purpose of classification or prognosis. It has been proven to be a useful prognostic marker in types of solid cancers and leukemia [14,[17][18][19]. However, contradictory results have been reported concerning the prognostic value of the SPF of leukemia cells [13][14][15].…”