Single‐ and double‐stranded RNA measurements by flow cytometry in solid neoplasms

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We investigated the ability of single‐and double‐stranded RNA measurements to discriminate between neoplastic and non‐neoplastic solid tissues. Sixty‐one solid nonhematopoietic neoplasms, 10 reactive non‐neoplastic lesions, and 26 normal tissue samples were the test materials. Single‐stranded ribonucleic acid (s‐RNA) levels and double‐stranded ribonucleic acid (ds‐RNA) excess in these specimens were defined in relationship to normal human lymphocytes. The mean s‐RNA index in normal, reactive, benign, and diploid and aneuploid malignant tissue samples was 0.90, 1.54, 1.9, 1.2, and 2.2, respectively. For ds‐RNA, the mean excess level for normal, reactive, benign, and diploid and aneuploid malignant specimens was 8.5%, 18.5%, 51.0%, 36.0%, and 41.3%, respectively. No statistical differences in s‐RNA level were found between non‐neoplastic and neoplastic tissue samples. A significant difference in ds‐RNA excess was found between non‐neoplastic and benign, and diploid and aneuploid malignant neoplastic tissue (P<0.001). The specificity of s‐RNA level and ds‐RNA excess was 94.4% and 100%, and the sensitivity was 29.5% and 67.2%, respectively. Notably, ds‐RNA determinations identified 70.0% of the diploid neoplastic samples, in contrast to 20% by s‐RNA. Our preliminary data suggest that ds‐RNA may be a useful parameter and may complement DNA ploidy in identification of solid neoplasms, especially if the yield of intact cells is improved.