D. Mukhopadhyay et al., CYTOKINETIC STUDIES OF ORAL-CANCER CELLS USING BROMODEOXYURIDINE LABELING IN RELATION TO FACTORS INFLUENCING PROGNOSIS, European journal of cancer. Part B, Oral oncology, 31B(1), 1995, pp. 32-36
Cytokinetics of 27 untreated oral squamous cell carcinomas were evalua
ted by in vitro bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labelling. A mononuclear cell
suspension was prepared for the labelling using collagenase and DNase
treatment. The labelled cells were visualised by immunofluorescence s
taining with an anti-BrdU monoclonal antibody. The labelling index (LI
%) was calculated by determining the percentage of BrdU labelled cells
. The LIs of the carcinomas ranged from 3.8 to 19.2%. The LIs of poorl
y-differentiate (HG3) tumours were 2-3-fold higher compared with those
of well-differentiated (HG1) and moderately-differentiated (HG2) carc
inomas. Results also showed statistically significant (P<0.0005) incre
ases in LIs from nuclear grade 1 (NG1) to nuclear grade 3 (NG3) carcin
omas. Higher LIs were observed in stage III/IV (10.82+/-4.62; 10.36+/-
4.90) than those in stage I (6.87+/-2.09) and II (7.14+/-1.87) carcino
mas. A significant (P<0.0005) difference in LI values was found betwee
n the patients with positive and negative lymph nodes. Good correlatio
n (r=0.77) was exhibited between the LI values and mitotic counts (MC)
of the specimens. These results on oral cancer cell proliferation see
m to have prognostic implications.