on animal thyroids in this laboratory, the rigid methodology for procuri
and
processing the tissue was setinto operation each time human thyroid mates ial
(previously irradiated with
th) was to become available. When an oppa
ity arose
to obtain such tissue, plans were made so that it was the responsible inve stigator of
this project who procured the tissue at the operating table. It was placdd in fixative
in the operating room without delay. The quantitative measurement of DNA[in individual
nuclei was undertaken in human tissue as we had done in the past in animags. Over a
period of almost 10 years, thyroid tissues from 12 1311 treated patients Yere obtained
for this study. All had had Graves' disease. In addition, there were tidqsues from
4 thyroids previously subjected to x-rey radiation and 2 controls (exploration for
parathyroid adenoma).
Ten of the 12 1
I patients were subjected to surge
because
of masses which had developed in the thyroid; one patient was operated because of
persistence of hyperthyroidism and was receiving an antithyroid drug at the time the
tissue was obtained; in two instances tissue was obtained during prompt pastnortex
examination. All tissues fron the various thyroids had been processed and stored in
paraffin blocks so that simultaneous staining could be accomplished on al ]
tissue at
the same time. The final steps in the preparation and staining of the
tissue from
these irradiated and control thyroids were concluded simultaneously.
The quantitative measurement of DNA in individual nuclei using Feulgpn
staining
and microspectrophotometry showed considerable variation in nuclear DNA content and
nuclear volume in scme, but not all, of the irradiated tissues.
Meamremefts
indicated that the amount of DNA in some cells was greater than two times
value.
This is as wasgbserved in the stimulated thyroids of animals
e diploid
ich had
previously been given 1°17. Here in man as in animals the results are intefpreted
as a build up in DNA, but thwarted cell division.
See Figure 8B.
On review of alternate sections stained with the customary hematoxy
and
eosin method, it was found that somewhat fewer of these irradiated tissues[displayed
ee Se yee anes cpserved in our ppeyiqus inradiated ene
oids
described some years before. However, four of 1
treated patients sBhowed an
Sburiance of the bisarre mucless forms in ectransdulay ticeus, One of the Imst
obvious was a patient who had not been cured of hyperthyroidism but who had been
given propylthiouracil before the procurement of tissue. This drug may ha¥ye behaved
in a fashion comparable to our animal experiments where an abundance of bigarre
ruclear forms developed when a similar stimulus was applied. In this case
[the
natural stimulus of the disease had obviously persisted at the time the tiqsue was
obtained.
In the other cases following 131{ treatment, it is difficult to kno
whether a given patient is in a euthyroid state because the driving force fhat causes
Graves' disease has abated or whether the force is still there, but the
oid is so
damaged that hyperthyroidism is not possible.
Since the opportunity to biopsy irradiated thyroids arose as a result] of palpable
masses in such thyroids, there was an opportunity to carry out similar measirements
on cells comprising adenanas which had also been removed. Considerable varfation was
found in DNA content and nuclear volume in these tumors. In the final ana
is, it is
not entirely clear which adenomas arose following 1511 and which were pre ent, but not
detected at the time 1511 was given. It would be particularly interesting fo know
which tumors arose from irradiated cells that bore a potential for bizarre fuclear
/4&