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Quantitative AgNOR assessment of cancer cell populations in undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the proliferative activity of cancer cell populations in undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by quantitative assessment of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR) proteins.


STUDY DESIGN
Silver-staining of NORs was applied to 18 paraffin sections of undifferentiated NPC containing a vesicular nuclear cancer cell population (VNCC) and spindle-shaped cancer cell population (SSCC). Various features of AgNORs in these two cell populations were analyzed by image cytometry and compared.


RESULTS
Mean AgNOR count, mean AgNOR area and AgNOR area-count ratio of VNCC were statistically significantly higher than those of SSCC, while no significant difference was found in AgNOR area/nuclear area ratio between the two cancer cell populations.


CONCLUSION
The different cancer cell populations with their distinct morphologic characteristics in undifferentiated NPC have different proliferative activity. The relationship between proliferative heterogeneity of cancer cell populations in undifferentiated NPC and its sensitivity to radiotherapy awaits further study.