DNA CYTOMETRIC ABNORMALITIES IN HUMAN ESOPHAGEAL SQUAMOUS INTRAEPITHELIAL AND INVASIVE CARCINOMAS

DNA ploidy abnormalities of 21 archival human esophageal intraepitheli al neoplasia samples were assessed, using image cytometry of deparaffi nized samples, with reference to invasive squamous cell carcinoma and corresponding uninvolved squamous epithelium. Cytometric parameters in vestigated were proportion of GOG1 aneuploid cell population, histogr am typing, proportion of GOG1 diploid nuclei, coefficient of variation , mean DNA content, crude 5c exceeding proportion, 2c deviation index, malignancy index and grade, and entropy. The distributions of the abo ve parameters wer e compared using the paired t test and Fisher's exac t test. Among 10 parameters used, Auer typing of DNA histograms, crude 5c exceeding rate, 2c deviation index and malignancy grade according to Bocking allowed discrimination between uninvolved epithelium and in vasive squamous cell carcinoma as well as intraepithelial neoplasia. I n particular, the distribution of 2c deviation index in the uninvolved epithelium did not overlap that of intraepithelial and invasive carci nomas. The above four parameters, however, were unable to discriminate intraepithelial neoplasia from invasive carcinoma.