THE AGNOR COUNT IN ULCERATIVE-COLITIS WITH AND WITHOUT DYSPLASIA

The numbers of specific intranuclear AgNOR silver precipitates (AgNORs ) and their relation to the inflammatory Bowel Disease-Dysplasia Morph ology Study Group's classification were studied in 134 colonscopic bio psy specimens of ulcerative colitis (UC) with and without dysplastic f indings from 73 patients with active and inactive disease. In addition , 40 cases of colonic adenocarcinomas and 22 normal colonic mucosae we re also assessed for comparison with the onestep silver staining AgNOR technique. Statistical comparison of the mean AgNOR number revealed a highly significant inter-class difference (P<0.001) between UC withou t dysplasia and UC with dysplasia as well as between active and inacti ve UC. On the contrary, the AgNORs count did not separate colonic aden ocarcinomas from UC with dysplasia either high or low grade nor these three classes from the group of UC with indefinite dysplasia. The quan titative evaluation of epithelial changes occurring in UC by the AgNOR method may help to establish the clinical management of colitis patie nts, in addition to qualitative morphological criteria.