INCREASED POLYSOMY-3 AND POLYSOMY-17 DETECTED BY FLUORESCENCE IN-SITUHYBRIDIZATION (FISH) IN ORAL SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA

Numerical chromosome aberrations were studied by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using pericentromeric DNA probes specific for chr omosomes 3 and 17 in 18 oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) and 3 lym ph nodes as control. Disomy 3 and 17 was detected in approximately 90% of control cells, and in 60.9 +/- 4.0% and 62.7 +/- 3.6% of SCCs, res pectively. Polysomy 3 and 17 significantly increased in SCCs when comp ared to controls. The pattern of chromosome aberrations varied conside rably between cases. There was no obvious relationship between the deg ree of polysomies and clinicopathological factors such as tumor-differ entiation, stage of the disease and clinical outcome. Chromosome aberr ations by FISH did not correlate with DNA aneuploidy by flow cytometry . Our results indicate that oral SCCs are more frequently associated w ith the increased copy number of chromosomes 3 and 17 than previously thought, and that a correlation between chromosome aberrations by FISH and DNA aneuploidy by flow cytometry is not obvious.