Urology Journal

Abstract

Purpose: To  evaluate  the  relationship  between histological  grade  and  apoptotic  index (AI)  in   transitional  cell  carcinoma  (TCC) of urinary bladder.

Materials and Methods: Formalin-fixed  and  paraffin-embedded  tissue  blocks  from 75     patients  with  TCC, who undergone  transurethral  resection (TUR)  were  studied.       One 3-micron section was provided from each TUR samples.  In  one  section  after  hematoxylin  and  eosin   (H&E)  staining,  tumor grade  was determined  according  to  World Health Organization/International Society of Urology and Pathology (WHO/ISUP)  criteria.  The  apoptotic   cells  were  determined  using  a  terminal  deoxynucleotidyl  transferase (TdT)  mediated  dUTP  biotin  nick  end  labeling (TUNEL)  technique.  Apoptotic  index  was  then  obtained     as  the  percent  of  TUNEL  positive  cells  from  observations  of  at  least  1000  cells  in   each  section.

Results: Forty-nine patients were men and 26 were women.  Mean age was 56.34?9 years.   Mean AI was 2.30?0.50.  The relationship between grade and AI   was significant (p=0.000, r=0.551); a higher grade was associated with a higher AI.