On the karyotypes of human cancer-cells, with special note on V-shaped chromosomes.

Abstract

We made a karyological study of cancer-cells in ascites of a case of gastric cancer, complicated with secondary liver-cancer and cancerous peritonitis. The results of observation about the number of chromosomes and the karyotype formula are as follows: 1. The number of the chromosomes of our observed human cancer cells ranged from 37 to 46 but most of them were between 44 and 46, especially a greater number of them being those containing 44. 2. Comparing the number of chromosomes in our observed human cancer cells with that of the chromosomes of the somatic cells in human bone-marrow, we found the former vary a little more than the latter in number, but on the whole both of them were found almost the same. 3. As for the karyotype formula, our observed human cancer cells comprised of 18 to 26 Jj-shaped chromosomes, of 10 to 20 rod shaped chromosomes, of 1 to 9 small V-shaped ones, of 3 to 4 large V-shaped ones. 4. As regards the constituent element of karyotype formula of our human cancer-cells, our special attention is attracted to the fact that the number of large V-shaped chromosomes is generally fixed, namely only one cell shows 3 V type and all the others have four large V-shaped chromosomes, and so they show 4 V type. 5. As regards the large V-shaped chromosomes in comparing the human cancer cells with the somatic cells in human bone-marrow, the somatic cell is 2 V type, while the human cancer cells show 4 V type, and so an increase in number is found.