Practical aspects of fixatives in high resolution nuclear image analysis

Performance optimization of the ThinPrep processor: effect of microscope slides

Our objective was to evaluate the cellular adherence property of various microscope slides. Slide preparations were made using the ThinPrep 2000 System, in which cells are transferred from a filter to a slide. A total of eight slide types was selected for testing against the ThinPrep microscope slide: S/P MicroSlide, S/P Pusher, S/P Colorfrost, Menzel Superfrost, Sayag, Sail Brand, Fisher Plus, and Newcomer Poly-L-Lysine. Gynecologic samples from 4 different patients were utilized on the ThinPrep Processor. Multiple preparations were made from each sample using the different microscope slides. The slides were stained with a commercial Pap stain, and cellular material was quantified by scanning each preparation using a linear stage mounted on a Hitachi U-2000 spectrophotometer set at 580 nm. The data generated by this study show that ThinPrep microscope slides produce preparations with the highest level of cellular material. This study quantifies slide performance, examines a range of microscope slide types, and shows that ThinPrep microscope slides exhibit significantly increased cell adherence over the other slide types tested.

Image cytometric analysis in pathology

Image cytometry (ICM) is used in surgical pathology to quantify nuclear DNA content, nuclear and cytoplasmic immunostain. DNA aneuploidy is shown to be an independent negative prognostic factor in malignant melanoma, small cell carcinoma of the lung, esophageal, ovarian, endometrial, prostatic, urinary bladder, and papillary thyroid carcinoma. On bladder washings, DNA ploidy by ICM is used as an aid in diagnosis and management of recurrent transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Quantitation of nuclear immunostain for proliferation markers by ICM has clinical significance in prognosis and management of solid tumors of bladder, breast and ovary, astrocytoma, lymphoma, and malignant melanoma. Angiogenesis, measured by microvessel density is a predictor of prognosis in breast carcinoma and an independent predictor of metastasis for breast carcinoma, malignant melanoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, and prostate carcinoma. Quantitated by ICM, angiogenesis is predictive of the presence or subsequent development of regional lymph node metastases in head and neck squamous carcinomas. Future prospects for ICM in pathology include the standardization of ICM techniques; extended clinical use of DNA ploidy for diagnosis, prognosis and as a help with therapeutic decisions; development of neural networks and quantification of fluorescence in situ hybridization to distinguish benign from malignant lesions of low malignant potential, and three-dimensional reconstruction of morphology from two-dimensional sections measured for prognostic parameters.

Morphometry of stallion spermatozoa by computer-assisted image analysis

Metric measurements of stallion spermatozoal heads were determined for live, unfixed spermatozoa and for Feulgen-stained spermatozoa by videomicroscopy and computerized image analysis. Two ejaculates were collected from each of five stallions of normal fertility. Air-dried semen smears were Feulgen-stained, and live, unfixed spermatozoa were examined as wet-mount preparations. For Feulgen-stained spermatozoa, videoimages (x3850) were captured, and sperm heads were detected via image segmentation and particle analysis. For live, unfixed spermatozoa, phase contrast videoimages (x3850) were measured to determine width and length of the sperm head. For Feulgen-stained spermatozoa, there were significant effects (P < 0.001) of stallion and ejaculate on measured parameters of area, circumference, and the length and width of the sperm head. For live, unfixed spermatozoa, there were significant effects of stallion on length and width and of ejaculate on length of the sperm heads. There was a very poor correlation between length and width of sperm heads between Feulgen-stained and live, unfixed spermatozoa. Two indices of sperm shape (oval factor and aspect ratio) were also determined. Both aspect ratio and oval factor were significantly affected by stallion (P < 0.001); however, oval factor was not affected by ejaculate and therefore may represent a less variable determination of sperm head shape across stallions. Overall, length and width of stallion sperm heads were larger (P < 0.01) for live, unfixed spermatozoa than for Feulgen-stained spermatozoa (length: 6.3 +/- 0.4 vs 5.08 +/- 0.44; width: 3.08 +/- 0.34 vs 2.71 +/- 0.28 mum, respectively). Computerized image analysis may be useful as a means to objectively measure sperm head dimensions in the stallion and could be useful in future studies to determine associations with stallion fertility.