AGNORS IN DUCTAL BREAST-CANCER - CORRELATION WITH PLOIDY AND S-PHASE FRACTION BY DNA FLOW-CYTOMETRY

Silver-binding nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) have been counted in sections of routinely processed paraffin embedded material. The AgN OR score has been correlated with proliferative activity of various ne oplasmas. An increase in the AgNOR score can be related to cellular gr owth fractions or DNA-ploidy. We have examined 301 invasive ductal bre ast carcinomas by this method. The AgNOR counts were also compared wit h DNA Ploidy and the S-phase fraction flow cytometry. A positive corre lation has been found between the AgNOR score and the S-Phase fraction . These data show cell proliferation. We conclude that AgNOR counting may provide information on breast carcinoma in addition to that obtain ed from flow cytometric analysis.