OBJECTIVETo evaluate bromodeoxyuridine/DNA (BrdUrd/DNA) double-parametric flow cytometric analysis in detection of gastric carcinoma and to study the correlations of cellular BrdUrd labeling index (LI), G(2)/M phase fraction (G(2)/MPF) and DNA content, with lymphatic and vascular invasion and prognosis.

METHODSSixty cases of fresh tumor samples were examined by BrdUrd/DNA double-parametric flow cytometry.

RESULTSBrdUrd LI and G(2)/MPF values were both significantly higher in patients with lymphatic invasion than those without invasion (P < 0.01). There was statistically significant difference between the 5-year survival rates in cases with and without lymphatic invasion (P < 0.01). Both BrdUrd LI and G(2)/MPF values were significantly higher in patients with lymph node metastasis than those in cases without metastasis (P < 0.01). There was a significant difference in 5-year survival rates between patients with and without lymph node metastases. The incidence of lymph node metastasis was significantly higher in aneuploid carcinoma (P < 0.05), and the patients with aneuploidy had significantly poor prognosis. BrdUrd LI was significantly higher in patients with more than 5 metastatic lymph nodes than those with 1-4 metastatic lymph nodes (P < 0.05) and no metastasis (P < 0.01). G(2)/MPF values in cases with more than 5 and 1-4 metastatic lymph nodes were higher than that in cases with no metastasis (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). There were significant differences in 5-year survival rates among patients with no lymph node metastasis, 1-4 nodes metastasis and more than 5 nodes metastasis. G(2)/MPF values were significantly higher in patients with and without vascular invasion (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCorrelations exist among cellular BrdUrd LI, G(2)/MPF, DNA content and lymphatic involvement, vascular invasions and prognosis in gastric carcinoma.