ACTIVITY OF NUCLEOLAR ORGANIZERS AND CLINICAL COURSE OF TRANSITIONAL CELL CARCINOMA OF THE BLADDER

Abstract

THE AIM of the investigation was to study activity of nucleolar organizers and clinical course of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and to compare clinical and morphological signs with indices of the distribution of nucleoli and argentophilic granules in tumor cells. PATIENTS AND METHODS. Data of the primary examination and of five years of dispensary observation after radical operative treatment of 61 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder were studied retrospectively. In addition to standard examination the ablated tissues of the tumors were stained with silver nitrate and under 1000 magnification the indices of the distribution of nucleoli and argentophilic granules were counted and analyzed and compared with clinical data taken before operations and during the postoperative dispensary followup. RESULTS. A correlation was revealed between indices of the distribution of nucleoli and nucleolar organizers and gender (p<0.001), age (p=0.077), blood group (p=0.038), rhesus factor (p=0.091), complains to dysuria (p=0.040), macrohematuria (p=0.063), content of erythrocytes (p=0.009) and leukocytes (p=0.015) in peripheral blood, presence of uremia (p<0.001), bacteriuria (p<0.001), leukocyturia (p=0.005), deep invasion (p=0.034) and degree of differentiation (p=0.0009) of carcinoma, as well as of recurrences (p<0.001) of tumors and survival of patients (p=0.021). The investigation of the parameters of distribution of nucleoli and bladder carcinomas granules allowed to specify risk of recurrences and death of patients from progression of the tumors after operative treatment. CONCLUSION. Investigation of activity of nucleolar organizers give additional information on properties of bladder carcinomas and prognosis of the disease.