[Detection of numerical chromosomal aberrations by FISH in "DNA-diploid" head and neck squamous cell carcinomas].

We applied Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization to DNA-diploid head and neck squamous cell carcinomas to detect numerical chromosomal aberrations. Using centromeric repetitive probes of chromosomes 1, 7, 11, 17, X, and Y, we detected numerical aberrations of chromosomes in 4 of the 7 tumors examined, the main line of one tumor showed trisomy 1, while the other 3 tumors had subpopulations that showed trisomy or monosomy of 1 or 2 chromosomes examined. We found polyploidy by cytofluorometry in all 4 tumors with numerical chromosomal aberrations. These results suggest that from DNA-diploid tumors with polyploidy, subpopulation that are aneuploid at the chromosome level may arise before the ploidy of the main line shifts to over DNA-aneuploidy.