Relation of the Infiltrative Depth with DNA Content and Expression of CEA in Carcinoma of the Gallbladder

Shuji Tomita, Yashihiro Muto, Satoshi Tamaki, Tsutomu Isa, Shigeru Deguchi, Yutaka Takaesu, Takayoshi Toda*

Department of Surgery I and Clinical Laboratory Medicine*, Ryukyu University School of Medicine

To better assess the prognostic factors of carcinoma of the gallbladder, the relation of the infiltrative depth to DNA content and expression of CEA in 41 patients with gall-bladder cancer was studied. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the infiltrative depth; m, pm-Ca (n=9) (tumor confined within the mucosa or the muscularis propria), ss-Ca (n=13) (tumor invading the subserosa without serosal invasion) and se-Ca (n=19) (tumor invading the serose or beyond). The DNA index was 1.08±0.24in m, pm-Ca, 1.50±0.36 in ss-Ca and 1.81±0.49 in se-Ca. Regarding the DNA ploidy pattern, the diploid pattern was accounted for 88.9% of m, pm-Ca, 30.7% of ss-Ca and 10.5% of se-Ca. In the ploidy group, low ploidy was found in 88.9% of m, pm-Ca; in contrast ss-Ca showed 38.5% intermediate and 53.8% high ploidy, and se-Ca showed 47.4% and 52.6%, respectively. CEA was diffusely positive in 22.2% of m, pm-Ca, 69.2% of. ss-Ca, and 78.9% of se-Ca. DNA content and expression of CEA were significantly correlated with the infiltrative depth. DNA measurement and expression of CEA may be used as important objective predictors complementary to the staging system, based on the infiltrative depth in gallbladder cancer.

Key words
gallbladder cancer, nuclear DNA content, expression of CEA

Reprint requests
Shuji Tomita Department of Surgery I, Ryukyu University School of Medicine
207 Aza Uehara, Nishihara-cho, Okinawa, 903-01 JAPAN

Accepted
July 6, 1992

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