POLYPLOIDY IN NONNEOPLASTIC TISSUES

Aim-To investigate the prevalence and amount of polyploidy in fine nee dle aspiration specimens of the liver, urinary cytospin preparations, and cytospin preparations from pleural and peritoneal fluid. Methods-C ells from 44 liver smears, 48 urine specimens, and 46 pleural and peri toneal aspirations were examined. After Feulgen restaining the DNA con tent of 100 randomly selected nuclei was determined using a TAS-plus i mage analysis system, combined with an automated microscope. Results-P olyploidy was observed up to 16c in the Liver, and up to 8c in urothel ium and mesothelium. Sixty eight per cent of the liver aspirates conta ined polyploid nuclei. The rate in urothelium was 20.8% and in mesothe lium 6.5%. Conclusions-Polyploidy in the liver may be interpreted as b eing associated with tissue differentiation, but the findings in uroth elium and mesothelium remain of unknown importance.