MORPHOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF AGNORS IN BREAST-CARCINOMA - CORRELATION WITH FLOW-CYTOMETRY AND PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN

To determine the relationship beween argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs), ploidy and proliferative activity in breast carcinom as. STUDY DESIGN: AgNOR staining was performed in 25 cases of infiltra ting ductal carcinoma of the breast, and several features were quantif ied by image analysis: nuclear area, mean value of the number of AgNOR s (M_N_Ag), area of AgNORs (A_Ag), area of AgNOR per nucleus (A_Ag/N), A_Ag variance (A_Ag_V) and coefficient of variation of AgNOR area per nucleus (CV_A_Ag/N). These findings were correlated with ploidy and p roliferative activity obtained by flow cytometry, also quantifying the latter with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Comparison of AgNORs with size of the tumor and lymph Mode status was also made. RES ULTS: We observed a good correlation between M_N_Ag and A_Ag with ploi dy (P<.001), M_N_Ag and A_Ag with S-phase fraction (SPF) (P <.001), A_ Ag with S+G2M (P<.02) and PCNA with M_N_Ag (P <.05). The mean value of A_Ag allowed division of the cases into two groups: diploid (D) and n ear diploid (ND) with low SPF (A_Ag < = 2.50 mu m(2)), and D and ND wi th high SPF and aneuploidy (A) (A_Ag > 2.50 mu m(2)) (P<.05). There wa s a statistically significant correlation between M_N_Ag and A_Ag and between tumor size and lymph node metastases (P<.05).CONCLUSION: AgNOR s correlate with various cell cycle and clinicopathologic features and will be used eventually as prognostic markers in breast cancer.