COMPARISON OF IMAGE (CAS-200) AND FLOW-CYTOMETRY DETERMINED DNA CONTENT OF PARAFFIN-EMBEDDED HODGKINS-DISEASE TISSUE

To assess the reliability of DNA estimation using image cytometry, dep araffinized lymph nodes from 70 patients with Hodgkin's disease were e xamined and the results obtained were compared with those from flow cy tometry. Image analysis without discriminating between the various cel l types, as found in Hodgkin's disease, revealed no separate aneuploid peak. Selecting on morphologically defined nuclear types DNA aneuploi dy was detected in 20% of the cases (14/70). The aneuploid populations were limited to the population of nuclei defined as Reed-Sternberg (R S)-like or medium-sized lymphocytes. Benign lymph nodes DNA aneuploidy was not found in any of the controls. Comparison of DNA histograms ob tained by image and flow cytometry showed aneuploid peaks using image cytometry in 4 of 30 diploid and 10 of 40 aneuploid flow histograms. I n conclusion, image analysis using the CAS 200 system as compared to f low cytometry is more time-consuming and less sensitive to assess ploi dy status, although it may provide extra information in some selected cases. Evidence is obtained that DNA aneuploidy in Hodgkin's disease i s preferentially expressed by cells with the RS/H-Eike and medium-size d lymphocyte morphology.