[Nuclear DNA content and chromosomal counts of cultured cells derived from human cervix with normal and abnormal epithelia]

Abstract

In order to examine the cellular properties of each cultured cell derived from normal and abnormal epitheliums of the cervix, we measured the nuclear DNA content and chromosomal counts of these cultured cells. The following results were obtained. The nuclear DNA content of cultured cells derived from normal, mild, moderate, severe dysplasia, carcinoma in situ (cis) and invasive carcinoma was distributed among low 2c-high 4c, low 2c-6c, low 2c-7c, low 2c-10c, low 2c-11c and low 2c-13c respectively. A number of the cells exceeding 4c apparently increased from lesions of moderate dysplasia. In the chromosomal counts, approximately 90% of the primary and subcultured normal cells showed diploid cells and 3-6% of these cells showed tetraploidy. The chromosomal counts of the invasive carcinoma were widely distributed, but the number with diploid to hypotriploid was larger than those of cis. From these results, mild dysplasia cannot be considered to be a precancerous lesion. Cis and invasive carcinoma have different cellular patterns.