DNA-PLOIDY AND PROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITY IN UTERINE-TUMORS - AN IN-VIVO STUDY USING BROMODEOXYURIDINE AND FLOW-CYTOMETRY

We have studied the DNA ploidy and the proliferative activity in 102 p atients with endometrial and cervical carcinoma, by flow cytometry. Sa mples were excised 1 hour after bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU, 250 mg/) e.v. infusion and fixed in 70% ethanol. Nuclear DNA content and BrdU incor poration, were simultaneously determined to obtain ploidy (DNA index) and proliferative activity (BrdU-labeling index, LI). No acute toxicit y or side effects related to BrdU injection were recorded. The overall feasibility of the determinations was higher than 90% (93/102). Twent y-two out of 59 (37.2%) endometrial neoplasms and 23 out of 34 (67.6%) cervical neoplasms were aneuploid, with a median DNA-index of the ane uploid peak of 1.3 and 1.4, respectively. Overall median BrdU LIs were 4.8% and 7.2%. Proliferative activity was found to be higher in aneup loid tumors (p<.05). DNA ploidy and/or BrdU-LI were not significantly related either with the clinical stage or the histopathologic grading in either tumor type. The BrdU in vivo administration coupled with biv ariate FCM for measurement is a simple method that can be performed in clinical settings to better evaluate the prognostic significance of p roliferative parameters in gynecological tumors.