Microfluorimetric and X-ray microanalytic studies on the DNA content and Na+:K+ ratios of the cell nuclei in various types of thyroid tumors.

Parallel studies were performed using microfluorimetric DNA determination and X-ray microanalysis on the same thyroid biopsy material to compare the intranuclear DNA and monovalent electrolyte contents (Na+, K+, Cl-). Samples were taken from apparently healthy, adenomatous, and cancerous parts of human thyroid glands removed surgically. The time interval was less than 1 min. The tissues were classified by the pathologist into four main classes: 1) Normal thyroid tissue; 2) benign adenomas; 3) differentiated (follicular and papillary) carcinomas; and 4) anaplastic cancers. The results revealed that the level of aneuploidization showed an increase parallel with the malignancy of the studied tumor. At the same time, a similar tendency was found in the average values of the intranuclear Na+:K+ ratios. The results obtained in this way confirm the possibility that the electric properties of the cell membrane, that is the sustained membrane depolarization, may have a role in the regulation of DNA synthesis and in mitogenesis. These results may offer new diagnostic and/or therapeutic possibilities.