Background. Recently, the number and morphologic features of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR), silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions, were thought to reflect the cellular proliferative activity and the grade of malignancy. In liver diseases, it has been reported that AgNOR scores for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) were significantly higher than those for benign and borderline lesions; the scores increased with histologic tumor grade.
Using the colloid silver staining technique to reveal AgNOR, 64 liver biopsy specimens with HCC were examined of which 14 had Stage 1 disease, 20 had Stage II,14 had Stage III,lO had Stage IVA, and 6 had Stage IVB (by International Union Against Cancer criteria).
AgNOR in nuclei were divided into two types. Type 1 (TI-NOR) contained large and mediumsized brown dots with well-defined margins. Nucleoli were included in this type. Type 2 (T,-NOR) had fine black single dots and clusters without well-defined margins outside T,-NOR, but within the nucleus. The size and irregularity of TI-NOR changed with the progress of cancerous stages. The increase in the number of T,-NOR contributed preponderantly to the overall increase in Ag-NOR scores.
Conclusions. These results suggest that HCC with smaller and/or irregular T,-NOR in combination with high T,-NOR scores have a more aggressive potential. AgNOR may be useful indicators for evaluating the progress of HCC. Cancer 1993; 71:44-9.
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