The DNA content of colorectal carcinomas: an analysis of the heterogeneity of aneuploidy and correlation with immunopathological parameters.

DNA ploidy patterns of 107 colorectal adenocarcinomas were retrospectively analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM) and correlated with clinicopathological and immunohistological parameters as grade, vascular and serosal invasion, carcinoembryonic antigen, secretory component (SC) and expression of HLA-DR antigens. Using the classical division into DNA diploid and DNA aneuploid tumors, a correlation with SC expression was observed. Subdivision of aneuploid tumors according to the discussed hypothetical functional criteria into hyperdiploid, hypotetraploid, tetraploid and hypertetraploid groups led to statistically significant correlation with serosal invasion. Among the immunohistological parameters the interdependence of SC and HLA-DR expression may be also of interest. The need for subdivision of DNA aneuploidy is broadly discussed so as to permit the analysis of different properties, cellular origins and kinetic parameters. Ultimately this may lead to more clinically meaningful interpretation of DNA histograms.