The measurement of DNA content in Wilms' tumor and its clinical significance

Abstract 

DNA content analysis with paraffin-embedded tissue was performed by flow cytometry on extracted nuclei from 42 Wilms' tumors. DNA histograms showed diploid in 13, tetraploid in 12, and aneuploid in 17. The frequency of DNA aneuploid was 40.48%. The 2- and 5-year survival rates were 84% and 75.16%, respectively, for patients with the DNA diploid pattern; the 2- and 5-year DNA aneuploid survival rates were 47.06% and 41.18% (P < .03 and P < .05), respectively. The 2- and 5- year survival rates for DNA tetraploid were in between, both 55.90%. For patients with stage I and II, the difference in the 2- and 5-year survival rates between DNA diploid plus tetraploid and DNA aneuploid was even more significant (P < .004 and P < .002, respectively). Thus, DNA aneuploid is an important indicator of poor prognosis in Wilms' tumor, especially for stages I and II. (J Pediatr Surg 1994 Apr;29(4):548-50)