Energy-dispersive, bulk specimen X-ray microanalytical measurement of the intracellular Na+/K+ ratio in human laryngeal tumors.

Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis was performed on human biopsy materials taken during laryngoscopic intervention in 18 cases. The removed tissue pieces were divided into two parts. One of them was used for pathohistological studies, the other was processed for X-ray microanalysis by the freeze-fracture freeze-drying method. Of the cases investigated 4 proved to be of benign character, whereas the rest contained carcinoma planocellulare keratoides or non-keratoides. Bulk specimen energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis of 135 cells from the benign tissue samples revealed an average Na+/K+ molar ratio of 0.13 +/- 0.01 (SEM) in the intracellular space, with a regular Gaussian distribution. In the cases of carcinomas 641 cells were measured, the average of the same ratio was 0.67 +/- 0.03 (SEM) due mostly to an increase in the Na+ content. The distribution of data was apparently not normal in the cancerous samples. These observations and some theoretical considerations support the notion that the intracellular Na+/K+ ratio correlates with the proliferative capacity of tissues. The relevance of some recent biochemical results is also discussed in this respect.