C‐Myc Expression In Exfoliated Cells In Serous Effusions

In an attempt to improve the discrimination between benign and malignant cells in pleural and peritoneal fluids, 32 effusions were investigated for c-myc expression. Smears were prepared from cells harvested from the fluids for immunocytochemical staining to identify the presence of c-myc protein. Recombinant DNA technology (Northern blotting, slot blotting and in situ hybridization) was used to detect c-myc mRNA. No significant difference in expression of c-myc was noted in benign or malignant effusions. Although the results are inconclusive, the recombinant DNA technology developed for this research could be used to investigate the expression of other oncogenes in cytological material.