Morphometric study on the nucleoli of mesothelial and tumour cells being in pleural cavity effusions.

An Opton cytophotometer was used for a comparative morphometric study on mesothelial and tumour cells obtained from pleural effusions. Tumour cells coming from malignant neoplasms with epithelial or mesenchymal origin were measured. Slides stained after Ambs X Grönemeyer and Smetana methods revealing RNP structures have been used. Both methods were valuable for nucleolar morphometry but the technical simplicity of the second one made it preferable. Nuclear and nucleolar surfaces as well as diameters and perimeters of nucleoli have been studied. Nucleolar/nuclear index, i.e. average number of the nucleoli per nuclear profile as well as nuclear/nucleolar surfaces ratio have been counted too. A clear difference of the average nucleolar size in tumour cells compared to that of mesothelial ones was established. The count of nuclear/nucleolar surfaces ratio-reveals that nucleolar enlargement in tumour cells is higher than nuclear one. In constant changes in the nucleolar/nuclear index was revealed in tumour cells.