Comparison between microspectrophotometry and cytofluorometry in measurements of nuclear DNA in human hepatocellular carcinomas.

A cell nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content analysis of paraffin-embedded materials of hepatocellular carcinoma in 18 patients was performed by two different methods, two-wavelength microspectrophotometry (paraffin section) and cytofluorometry (cell isolation). The DNA pattern was grouped into two types, low ploidy or high ploidy, and results achieved by each method were compared. The coincidence rate was 88.9% (16 in 18). Among the 14 with no or slight pleomorphism the coincidence rate was 100%, while it was only 50% (two in four) in those with moderate or marked nuclear pleomorphism. Therefore, when measuring the nuclear DNA content of cancer cells, the possibility of considerable differences between results of absorption and fluorescence cytophotometry in cases of a moderate or marked pleomorphism has to be considered.