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Cell nuclear DNA content was microspectrophotometrically measured in 60 cases of early and six of advanced gastric carcinoma. DNA distribution pattern was classified into Types I, II and III, according to the degree of dispersion on the DNA histogram. Five of 6 cases of the advanced carcinomas were Type III. In early carcinoma, the majority of Super (superficially spreading) type were Type II, while all of Pen A (expansively penetrating growth) type were Type III. In Pen B (infiltratively penetrating growth) type, six of ten cases were Type II and the other four were Type III. Thus, there was a distinct difference in the DNA pattern between Super and Pen Types, i.e., the DNA analysis reflected these growth types. Since about 20% of those with small mucosal carcinomas, not classifiable into the Super or the Pen types presented Type III, the cytophotometric DNA analysis should be useful in the detection of Pen A like carcinoma, in its early stage. The development from early to advanced carcinoma was discussed in terms of the similarity of the DNA histogram patterns.

The pathological changes of regional lymph nodes in cases of gastric carcinomas with lymphoid stroma (LS group) and the prognostic significance of the findings were studied in comparison with those in cases of ordinary stroma (OS group). The purpose of this study was to elucidate the immune responses of regional lymph nodes, histologically, in patients with gastric carcinoma and lymphoid stroma. In the LS group, the incidence of paracortical hyperplasia (PH) was high, irrespective of lymph node metastasis, while that of germinal center hyperplasia (GH) was high in the absence of lymph node metastasis but tended to be low in the presence of metastasis. In the OS group, the incidences of PH and GH were low, particularly in the presence of lymph node metastasis. The five year survival rate in those with no lymph node metastasis was as favorable as that of patients with lymph node metastasis in the LS group, the latter being significantly higher than the rate in the OS group. These results indicate that gastric carcinomas with lymphoid stroma are closely related to reactive hyperplasias of the regional lymph nodes, particularly paracortical hyperplasia, and in such cases, there is a favorable prognosis, regardless of the lymph node metastasis.

A cytophotometric DNA analysis was made of gastroendoscopically biopsied materials of 43 patients with early gastric carcinoma and the data were compared with the DNA patterns of the resected specimens of these patients. The DNA patterns could be classified into two types, Low Ploidy and High ploidy, according to the degree of dispersion of the DNA value. The Ploidy to Ploidy coincidence of the DNA patterns between biopsied material and the resected specimen in the same lesion was noted in 93 per cent (39/42). The DNA patterns of the resected specimens were consistent in the majority of cases, regardless of the areas examined, center or periphery, and mucosa or submucosa of the same lesion. This study provides evidence that a highly malignant type of early gastric carcinoma, Pen A type, could be differentiated in gastroendoscopically biopsied materials by a cytophotometric DNA analysis.