Stem-like karyotypes of 4 carcinomas of the cervix uteri

Discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome: a personal perspective

Almost 50 years ago, David Hungerford and I noticed an abnormally small chromosome in cells from patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). This article is a personal perspective of the events leading to the discovery of this chromosome, which became known as the Philadelphia chromosome. As technology advanced over subsequent decades, the translocation resulting in the Philadelphia chromosome has been identified, its role in the development of CML has been confirmed, and a therapy directed against the abnormal protein it produces has shown promising results in the treatment of patients with CML.

[The problem of the ploidy reduction in carcinogenesis of the uterine cervix: numerical chromosome anomalies in carcinoma in situ (author's transl)]

The authors report on cytogenetic studies of the uterine cervix in 11 carcinoma in situ. In six cases with intact epithelium the cells were no longer normal and five cases showed beginning stroma invasion. The numerical chromosome anomalies observed indicate the presence of ploidy reduction. In accord with cytogenetic findings in precancerous conditions and in carcinoma of the uterine cervix published in the literature, the ploidy reduction may be regarded as a probable causal principle for malignancy at the uterine cervix.

Pulse cytophotometric investigations concerning ploidy and proliferation pattern of invasive squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix uteri

Tumor cell suspensions from 100 biopsies of squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix uteri were investigated by impulse cytophotometry (ICP) after staining with pepsin-ethidium bromide. We estimated the ploidy pattern by comparing the ICP curves with normal diploid material. The originally linearly classified curves were transformed in a logarithmical manner. We found 48 diploid populations and 42 polyploid populations, among them 19 tetraploid tumors. In these the 4c-peak was the highest. In 10 cases there were aneuploid stem lines, mainly lying between 2c and 4c; 2 curves had a hypertetraploid pattern. Helpful for interpretation of the whole curve is the introduction of an index: the "relative mean DNA-content" (DNA). In 15 diploid tumors we found a low proliferating rate, characterized by low 4c-peaks. For interpretation of polyploid cell cycles a completed nomenclature of cell cycle phases was introduced. Comparing our material with chromosome analyses in laterature we found more polyploid, e.g. tetraploid tumors. It can be assumed that the estimation of ploidy pattern solely by DNA measurements has another meaning than by chromosome analyses. The higher ploid peaks in DNA distribution curves (e.g. ICP-karyograms) represent not only true polyploid nuclei but also nuclei which are in a blocked premitotic resting phase (G2 for 4c; G'2 for 8c and so on). The ICP is a valuable method for estimating biological pecularities of tumor cell suspensions.

Cytogenetic studies of preinvasive lesions and invasive carcinomas' of the cervix uteri. III. Survey and interpretation of the results reported in the literature

Summary. Cytogenetic studies were performed of 54 preinvasive carcinomas and invasive squamous cervix carcinomas altogether. The chromosome number could be determined in 9 dysplasias, 25 carcinomas in situ, 4 carcinomas in situ with micro-invasion and 16 invasive squamous carcinomas (at least clinical stage Ib). It was shown that carcinomas in situ, carcinomas in situ with microinvasion and invasive squamous carcinomas could not be differentiated from each other in principle as groups with regard to numerical chromosome deviations...

Double minute chromatin bodies in a case of ovarian ascitic carcinoma

The paper presents the cytogenetic constitution of an ovarian ascitic carcinoma. Double minute chromatin bodies were seen in all the metaphases; their number was proportional to the number of the cells. Some properties of the double minute chromatin bodies are discussed.

Protruding chromosome arms in histological sections of tumours with large marker chromosomes

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