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Vergari M, Niccolini B, Pitocco D, Rizzi A, Ciasca G, de Spirito M, Gavioli L. Optical discrimination of pathological red blood cells. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024. [PMID: 38973124 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Fast diagnostic methods are crucial to reduce the burden on healthcare systems. Currently, detection of diabetes complications such as neuropathy requires time-consuming approaches to observe the correlated red blood cells (RBCs) morphological changes. To tackle this issue, an optical analysis of RBCs in air was conducted in the 250-2500 nm range. The distinct oscillations present in the scattered and direct transmittance spectra have been analyzed with both Mie theory and anomalous diffraction approximation. The results provide information about the swelling at the ends of RBCs and directly relate the optical data to RBCs morphology and deformability. Both models agree on a reduction in the size and deformability of RBCs in diabetic patients, thus opening the way to diabetes diagnosis and disease progression assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Vergari
- Interdisciplinary Laboratories for Advanced Materials Physics (i-LAMP) and Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Brescia, Italy
| | - Benedetta Niccolini
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Dario Pitocco
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- UOSD Diabetologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rizzi
- UOSD Diabetologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Ciasca
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- UOSD Diabetologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco de Spirito
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- UOSD Diabetologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Gavioli
- Interdisciplinary Laboratories for Advanced Materials Physics (i-LAMP) and Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Brescia, Italy
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Deshmukh SS, Shakya B, Chen A, Durmus NG, Greenhouse B, Egan ES, Demirci U. Multiparametric biophysical profiling of red blood cells in malaria infection. Commun Biol 2021; 4:697. [PMID: 34103669 PMCID: PMC8187722 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02181-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Biophysical separation promises label-free, less-invasive methods to manipulate the diverse properties of live cells, such as density, magnetic susceptibility, and morphological characteristics. However, some cellular changes are so minute that they are undetectable by current methods. We developed a multiparametric cell-separation approach to profile cells with simultaneously changing density and magnetic susceptibility. We demonstrated this approach with the natural biophysical phenomenon of Plasmodium falciparum infection, which modifies its host erythrocyte by simultaneously decreasing density and increasing magnetic susceptibility. Current approaches have used these properties separately to isolate later-stage infected cells, but not in combination. We present biophysical separation of infected erythrocytes by balancing gravitational and magnetic forces to differentiate infected cell stages, including early stages for the first time, using magnetic levitation. We quantified height distributions of erythrocyte populations-27 ring-stage synchronized samples and 35 uninfected controls-and quantified their unique biophysical signatures. This platform can thus enable multidimensional biophysical measurements on unique cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya S Deshmukh
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University Schools of Engineering and Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Canary Center for Early Cancer Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Bikash Shakya
- Department of Pediatrics; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anna Chen
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Naside Gozde Durmus
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Bryan Greenhouse
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Egan
- Department of Pediatrics; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Utkan Demirci
- Canary Center for Early Cancer Detection, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
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Gómez F, Silva LS, Teixeira DE, Agero U, Pinheiro AAS, Viana NB, Pontes B. Plasmodium falciparum maturation across the intra-erythrocytic cycle shifts the soft glassy viscoelastic properties of red blood cells from a liquid-like towards a solid-like behavior. Exp Cell Res 2020; 397:112370. [PMID: 33186602 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.112370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The mechanical properties of erythrocytes have been investigated by different techniques. However, there are few reports on how the viscoelasticity of these cells varies during malaria disease. Here, we quantitatively map the viscoelastic properties of Plasmodium falciparum-parasitized human erythrocytes. We apply new methodologies based on optical tweezers to measure the viscoelastic properties and defocusing microscopy to measure the erythrocyte height profile, the overall cell volume, and its form factor, a crucial parameter to convert the complex elastic constant into complex shear modulus. The storage and loss shear moduli are obtained for each stage of parasite maturation inside red blood cells, while the former increase, the latter decrease. Employing a soft glassy rheology model, we obtain the power-law exponent for the storage and loss shear moduli, characterizing the soft glassy features of red blood cells in each parasite maturation stage. Ring forms present a liquid-like behavior, with a slightly lower power-law exponent than healthy erythrocytes, whereas trophozoite and schizont stages exhibit increasingly solid-like behaviors. Finally, the surface elastic shear moduli, low-frequency surface viscosities, and shape recovery relaxation times all increase not only in a stage-dependent manner but also when compared to healthy red blood cells. Overall, the results call attention to the soft glassy characteristics of Plasmodium falciparum-parasitized erythrocyte membrane and may provide a basis for future studies to better understand malaria disease from a mechanobiological perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fran Gómez
- Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-972, Brazil; Centro Nacional de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem (CENABIO), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Leandro S Silva
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Douglas E Teixeira
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Ubirajara Agero
- Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Ana Acácia S Pinheiro
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Nathan B Viana
- Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-972, Brazil; Centro Nacional de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem (CENABIO), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil.
| | - Bruno Pontes
- Centro Nacional de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem (CENABIO), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil.
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Agnero MA, Konan K, Tokou ZGCS, Kossonou YTA, Dion BS, Kaduki KA, Zoueu JT. Malaria-Infected Red Blood Cell Analysis through Optical and Biochemical Parameters Using the Transport of Intensity Equation and the Microscope's Optical Properties. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 19:E3045. [PMID: 31295927 PMCID: PMC6678084 DOI: 10.3390/s19143045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The accuracy, reliability, speed and cost of the methods used for malaria diagnosis are key to the diseases' treatment and eventual eradication. However, improvement in any one of these requirements can lead to deterioration of the rest due to their interdependence. We propose an optical method that provides fast detection of malaria-infected red blood cells (RBCs) at a lower cost. The method is based on the combination of deconvolution, topography and three-dimensional (3D) refractive index reconstruction of the malaria-infected RBCs by use of the transport of intensity equation. Using our method, healthy RBCs were identified by their biconcave shape, quasi-uniform spatial distribution of their refractive indices and quasi-uniform concentration of hemoglobin. The values of these optical and biochemical parameters were found to be in agreement with the values reported in the literature. Results for the malaria-infected RBCs were significantly different from those of the healthy RBCs. The topography of the cells and their optical and biochemical parameters enabled identification of their stages of infection. This work introduces a significant method of analyzing malaria-infected RBCs at a lower cost and without the use of fluorescent labels for the parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Akpa Agnero
- Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée et Technologie, UFR SSMT, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Côte d'Ivoire.
| | - Kouakou Konan
- Laboratoire d'Instrumentation d'Image et Spectroscopie, Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INPH-B), BP 1093 Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
| | | | - Yao Taky Alvarez Kossonou
- Laboratoire d'Instrumentation d'Image et Spectroscopie, Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INPH-B), BP 1093 Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Bienvenue Sylvère Dion
- Laboratoire d'Instrumentation d'Image et Spectroscopie, Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INPH-B), BP 1093 Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
| | | | - Jérémie Thouakesséh Zoueu
- Laboratoire d'Instrumentation d'Image et Spectroscopie, Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INPH-B), BP 1093 Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire
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Cell Swelling Induced by the Antimalarial KAE609 (Cipargamin) and Other PfATP4-Associated Antimalarials. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.00087-18. [PMID: 29555632 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00087-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
For an increasing number of antimalarial agents identified in high-throughput phenotypic screens, there is evidence that they target PfATP4, a putative Na+ efflux transporter on the plasma membrane of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum For several such "PfATP4-associated" compounds, it has been noted that their addition to parasitized erythrocytes results in cell swelling. Here we show that six structurally diverse PfATP4-associated compounds, including the clinical candidate KAE609 (cipargamin), induce swelling of both isolated blood-stage parasites and intact parasitized erythrocytes. The swelling of isolated parasites is dependent on the presence of Na+ in the external environment and may be attributed to the osmotic consequences of Na+ uptake. The swelling of the parasitized erythrocyte results in an increase in its osmotic fragility. Countering cell swelling by increasing the osmolarity of the extracellular medium reduces the antiplasmodial efficacy of PfATP4-associated compounds, consistent with cell swelling playing a role in the antimalarial activity of this class of compounds.
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Sivaraj L, Md Yunus NA, Mohtar MN, Abd Aziz S, Abidin ZZ, Saripan MI, Rokhani FZ. Portable biosensor for chronic malaria detection. 2016 17TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON QUALITY ELECTRONIC DESIGN (ISQED) 2016. [DOI: 10.1109/isqed.2016.7479208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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Characterization of red blood cells with multiwavelength transmission spectroscopy. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:382641. [PMID: 25654099 PMCID: PMC4309305 DOI: 10.1155/2015/382641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Multiwavelength transmission (MWT) spectroscopy was applied to the investigation of the morphological parameters and composition of red blood cells (RBCs). The MWT spectra were quantitatively analyzed with a Mie theory based interpretation model modified to incorporate the effects of the nonsphericity and orientation of RBCs. The MWT spectra of the healthy and anemic samples were investigated for the RBC indices in open and blinded studies. When MWT performance was evaluated against a standard reference system, very good agreement between two methods, with R2 > 0.85 for all indices studied, was demonstrated. The RBC morphological parameters were used to characterize three types of anemia and to draw an association between RBC morphology and anemia severity. The MWT spectra of RBCs infected with malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum at different life cycle stages were analyzed for RBC morphological parameters. The changes in the RBC volume, surface area, aspect ratio, and hemoglobin composition were used to trace the morphological and compositional alterations in the infected RBCs occurring with parasites' development and to provide insights into parasite-host interactions. The MWT method was shown to be reliable for determination of the RBC morphological parameters and to be valuable for identification of the RBC pathologic changes and disease states.
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Masilamani V, Devanesan S, Ravikumar M, Perinbam K, AlSalhi MS, Prasad S, Palled S, Ganesh KM, Alsaeed AH. Fluorescence spectral diagnosis of malaria: a preliminary study. Diagn Pathol 2014; 9:182. [PMID: 25322673 PMCID: PMC4206706 DOI: 10.1186/s13000-014-0182-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/07/2014] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria is the most common disease transmitted by the bite by an infected female anopheles mosquito and caused by the plasmodium parasite. It is mostly prevalent in subtropical regions receiving abundant rain and supporting copious mosquito breeding. This disease is generally detected by the microscopic examination of blood films or antigen based rapid diagnostic test. Only occasionally the parasite DNA is detected using polymerase chain reaction in certain advanced, expensive laboratories. Methods An innovative spectral detection method based on the fluorescence spectra of a set of blood plasma biomolecules [tyrosine, tryptophan, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)] and red blood cell (RBC)-associated porphyrin is being evolved by our group. Results The research so far has exhibited sensitivity and specificity values exceeding 90% based on the spectral features of blood components of 14 malaria patients and 20 numbers of age adjusted normal controls. The fluorescent biomolecules go out of proportion when the malarial parasite breaks down the hemoglobin of blood. Conclusion This technique has the potential to be used as an alternative diagnostic procedure for malaria since the instrumentation involved is portable and inexpensive. Virtual Slides The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/13000_2014_182
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Delahunt C, Horning MP, Wilson BK, Proctor JL, Hegg MC. Limitations of haemozoin-based diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum using dark-field microscopy. Malar J 2014; 13:147. [PMID: 24739286 PMCID: PMC4021049 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-13-147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The haemozoin crystal continues to be investigated extensively for its potential as a biomarker for malaria diagnostics. In order for haemozoin to be a valuable biomarker, it must be present in detectable quantities in the peripheral blood and distinguishable from false positives. Here, dark-field microscopy coupled with sophisticated image processing algorithms is used to characterize the abundance of detectable haemozoin within infected erythrocytes from field samples in order to determine the window of detection in peripheral blood. Methods Thin smears from Plasmodium falciparum-infected and uninfected patients were imaged in both dark field (DF) unstained and bright field (BF) Giemsa-stained modes. The images were co-registered such that each parasite had thumbnails in both BF and DF modes, providing an accurate map between parasites and DF objects. This map was used to find the abundance of haemozoin as a function of parasite stage through careful parasite staging and correlation with DF objects. An automated image-processing and classification algorithm classified the bright spots in the DF images as either haemozoin or non-haemozoin objects. Results The algorithm distinguishes haemozoin from non-haemozoin objects in DF images with an object-level sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 97%. Ring stages older than about 6 hours begin to show detectable haemozoin, and rings between 10–16 hours reliably contain detectable haemozoin. However, DF microscopy coupled with the image-processing algorithm detect no haemozoin in rings younger than six hours. Discussion Although this method demonstrates the most sensitive detection of haemozoin in field samples reported to date, it does not detect haemozoin in ring-stage parasites younger than six hours. Thus, haemozoin is a poor biomarker for field samples primarily composed of young ring-stage parasites because the crystal is not present in detectable quantities by the methods described here. Based on these results, the implications for patient-level diagnosis and recommendations for future work are discussed.
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Ye T, Phan-Thien N, Khoo BC, Lim CT. Stretching and relaxation of malaria-infected red blood cells. Biophys J 2014; 105:1103-9. [PMID: 24010653 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2013] [Revised: 07/09/2013] [Accepted: 07/11/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The invasion of red blood cells (RBCs) by malaria parasites is a complex dynamic process, in which the infected RBCs gradually lose their deformability and their ability to recover their original shape is greatly reduced with the maturation of the parasites. In this work, we developed two types of cell model, one with an included parasite, and the other without an included parasite. The former is a representation of real malaria-infected RBCs, in which the parasite is treated as a rigid body. In the latter, where the parasite is absent, the membrane modulus and viscosity are elevated so as to produce the same features present in the parasite model. In both cases, the cell membrane is modeled as a viscoelastic triangular network connected by wormlike chains. We studied the transient behaviors of stretching deformation and shape relaxation of malaria-infected RBCs based on these two models and found that both models can generate results in agreement with those of previously published studies. With the parasite maturation, the shape deformation becomes smaller and smaller due to increasing cell rigidity, whereas the shape relaxation time becomes longer and longer due to the cell's reduced ability to recover its original shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Ye
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Karimi A, Navidbakhsh M, Haghi AM, Faghihi S. A morphology-based method for the diagnosis of red blood cells parasitized by Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 46:368-75. [PMID: 24568595 DOI: 10.3109/00365548.2014.880186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The morphology of red blood cells (RBCs) is altered significantly during the maturation stages of malaria parasites, which include ring, trophozoite, and schizont. There is dissimilarity in terms of the morphological characteristics of parasitized RBCs infected by the 4 species of Plasmodium, including falciparum, vivax, malariae, and ovale. This makes the process of diagnosis very difficult, which may lead to a wrong treatment method and substantial damage to the health of the patient. An innovative technique in introduced that accurately defines the shape of parasitized RBCs at each stage of infection as a potential method of diagnosis. METHODS Giemsa-stained thin blood films were prepared using blood samples collected from healthy donors as well as patients infected with P. malariae and P. ovale. The diameter and thickness of healthy and infected RBCs at each stage of infection were measured from their optical images using Olysia and Scanning Probe Image Processor (SPIP) software, respectively. A shape equation was fitted based on the morphological characteristics of RBCs, and their relative 2-dimensional shapes were plotted using Wolfram Mathematica. RESULTS At the ring stage, the thicknesses of RBCs parasitized by P. malariae (Pm-RBCs) and P. ovale (Po-RBCs) increased by 42% and 51%, respectively. Both Pm-RBCs and Po-RBCs remained nearly biconcave throughout parasite development even though their volumes increased. CONCLUSIONS It is proposed that the morphology-based characterization technique introduced here could be used to intensify the accuracy of the Giemsa staining diagnosis method for the detection of the Plasmodium genus and infection stage. Based on the significant morphological alterations induced by different Plasmodium species, the results may also find practical use for faster prediction and treatment of human malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Karimi
- From the School of Mechanical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology , Tehran , Iran
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Kim K, Yoon H, Diez-Silva M, Dao M, Dasari RR, Park Y. High-resolution three-dimensional imaging of red blood cells parasitized by Plasmodium falciparum and in situ hemozoin crystals using optical diffraction tomography. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2014; 19:011005. [PMID: 23797986 PMCID: PMC4019420 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.19.1.011005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2013] [Revised: 05/06/2013] [Accepted: 05/29/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
We present high-resolution optical tomographic images of human red blood cells (RBC) parasitized by malaria-inducing Plasmodium falciparum (Pf)-RBCs. Three-dimensional (3-D) refractive index (RI) tomograms are reconstructed by recourse to a diffraction algorithm from multiple two-dimensional holograms with various angles of illumination. These 3-D RI tomograms of Pf-RBCs show cellular and subcellular structures of host RBCs and invaded parasites in fine detail. Full asexual intraerythrocytic stages of parasite maturation (ring to trophozoite to schizont stages) are then systematically investigated using optical diffraction tomography algorithms. These analyses provide quantitative information on the structural and chemical characteristics of individual host Pf-RBCs, parasitophorous vacuole, and cytoplasm. The in situ structural evolution and chemical characteristics of subcellular hemozoin crystals are also elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoohyun Kim
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Department of Physics, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea
| | - HyeOk Yoon
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Department of Physics, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Monica Diez-Silva
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Ming Dao
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Ramachandra R. Dasari
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, George R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02194
| | - YongKeun Park
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Department of Physics, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea
- Address all correspondence to: YongKeun Park, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Department of Physics, 291 Daehak-Ro Yusung-Gu, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea. Tel: (82) 42-350-2514; Fax: (82) 42-350-7160; E-mail:
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Serebrennikova YM, Patel J, Milhous WK, Garcia-Rubio LH, Huffman DE, Smith JM. Spectrophotometric detection of susceptibility to anti-malarial drugs. Malar J 2013; 12:305. [PMID: 23992478 PMCID: PMC3849014 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-12-305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2012] [Accepted: 08/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With malaria drug resistance increasing in prevalence and severity, new technologies are needed to aid and improve the accuracy and clinical relevance of laboratory or field testing for malaria drug resistance. This study presents a method based on simple and reagentless spectroscopic measurements coupled with comprehensive spectral interpretation analysis that provides valuable quantitative information on the morphological and compositional responses of Plasmodium falciparum and infected red blood cells (IRBCs) to anti-malarial treatment. METHODS The changes in the size, internal structure, nucleotide and haemozoin composition of the parasites as well as the morphology (size and shape) and haemoglobin composition of the IRBCs treated with dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and mefloquine (MFQ) were investigated using a spectral interpretation analysis. RESULTS DHA treatment reduced the sizes of the parasites and their structural organelles. The haemoglobin composition of the host IRBCs determined from spectroscopic analysis changed negligibly following DHA treatment. MFQ treated parasites grew to the same size as those from parallel non-treated cultures but lacked haemozoin. Lesser deformation of the cell shape and no haemoglobin depletion were detected for the IRBCs of MFQ treated cultures. CONCLUSIONS The spectroscopic analysis method proved to be sensitive for recognition of the effects of anti-malarial treatment on the structure and composition of the parasites and IRBCs. The method can have significant potential for research and clinical applications such as evaluating patient specimens for drug action, drug effects or for therapeutic monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia M Serebrennikova
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 13201 Bruce B, Downs Blvd,, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
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Karimi A, Navidbakhsh M, Motevalli Haghi A, Faghihi S. An innovative shape equation to quantify the morphological characteristics of parasitized red blood cells by Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. Proc Inst Mech Eng H 2013; 227:428-37. [PMID: 23637218 DOI: 10.1177/0954411912474611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The morphology of red blood cells is affected significantly during maturation of malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. A novel shape equation is presented that defines shape of parasitized red blood cells by P. falciparum (Pf-red blood cells) and P. vivax (Pv-red blood cells) at four stages of infection. The Giemsa-stained thin blood films are prepared using blood samples collected from healthy donors, patients having P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria. The diameter and thickness of healthy red blood cells plus Pf-red blood cells and Pv-red blood cells at each stage of infection are measured from their optical images using Olysia and Scanning Probe Image Processor softwares, respectively. Using diameters and thicknesses of parasitized red blood cells, a shape equation is fitted and relative two-dimensional shapes are plotted using MATHEMATICA. The shape of Pf-red blood cell drastically changes at ring stage as its thickness increases by 82%, while Pv-red blood cell remains biconcave (30% increase in thickness). By trophozoite and subsequent schizont stage, the Pf-red blood cell entirely loses its biconcave shape and becomes near spherical (diameter and thickness of ~8 µm). The Pv-red blood cell remains biconcave throughout the parasite development even though its volume increases. These results could have practical use for faster diagnosis, prediction, and treatment of human malaria and sickle-cell diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Karimi
- Division of Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran
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Wu T, Feng JJ. Simulation of malaria-infected red blood cells in microfluidic channels: Passage and blockage. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2013; 7:44115. [PMID: 24404048 PMCID: PMC3751956 DOI: 10.1063/1.4817959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 07/26/2013] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Malaria-infected red blood cells (iRBCs) become less deformable with the progression of infection and tend to occlude microcapillaries. This process has been investigated in vitro using microfluidic channels. The objective of this paper is to provide a quantitative basis for interpreting the experimental observations of iRBC occlusion of microfluidic channels. Using a particle-based model for the iRBC, we simulate the traverse of iRBCs through a converging microfluidic channel and explore the progressive loss of cell deformability due to three factors: the stiffening of the membrane, the reduction of the cell's surface-volume ratio, and the growing solid parasites inside the cell. When examined individually, each factor tends to hinder the passage of the iRBC and lengthen the transit time. Moreover, at sufficient magnitude, each may lead to obstruction of narrow microfluidic channels. We then integrate the three factors into a series of simulations that mimic the development of malaria infection through the ring, trophozoite, and schizont stages. These simulations successfully reproduce the experimental observation that with progression of infection, the iRBC transitions from passage to blockage in larger and larger channels. The numerical results suggest a scheme for quantifying iRBC rigidification through microfluidic measurements of the critical pressure required for passage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tenghu Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - James J Feng
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada ; Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z2, Canada
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How malaria parasites reduce the deformability of infected red blood cells. Biophys J 2012; 103:1-10. [PMID: 22828326 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Revised: 04/23/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogenesis of malaria is largely due to stiffening of the infected red blood cells (RBCs). Contemporary understanding ascribes the loss of RBC deformability to a 10-fold increase in membrane stiffness caused by extra cross-linking in the spectrin network. Local measurements by micropipette aspiration, however, have reported only an increase of ∼3-fold in the shear modulus. We believe the discrepancy stems from the rigid parasite particles inside infected cells, and have carried out numerical simulations to demonstrate this mechanism. The cell membrane is represented by a set of discrete particles connected by linearly elastic springs. The cytosol is modeled as a homogeneous Newtonian fluid, and discretized by particles as in standard smoothed particle hydrodynamics. The malaria parasite is modeled as an aggregate of particles constrained to rigid-body motion. We simulate RBC stretching tests by optical tweezers in three dimensions. The results demonstrate that the presence of a sizeable parasite greatly reduces the ability of RBCs to deform under stretching. With the solid inclusion, the observed loss of deformability can be predicted quantitatively using the local membrane elasticity measured by micropipettes.
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Mihailescu M, Scarlat M, Gheorghiu A, Costescu J, Kusko M, Paun IA, Scarlat E. Automated imaging, identification, and counting of similar cells from digital hologram reconstructions. APPLIED OPTICS 2011; 50:3589-97. [PMID: 21743570 DOI: 10.1364/ao.50.003589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents our method, which simultaneously combines automatic imaging, identification, and counting with the acquisition of morphological information for at least 1000 blood cells from several three-dimensional images of the same sample. We started with seeking parameters to differentiate between red blood cells that are similar but different with respect to their development stage, i.e., mature or immature. We highlight that these cells have different diffractive patterns with complementary central intensity distribution in a given plane along the propagation axis. We use the Fresnel approximation to simulate propagation through cells modeled as spheroid-shaped phase objects and to find the cell property that has the dominant influence on this behavior. Starting with images obtained in the reconstruction step of the digital holographic microscopy technique, we developed a code for automated simultaneous individual cell image separation, identification, and counting, even when the cells are partially overlapped on a slide, and accurate measuring of their morphological features. To find the centroids of each cell, we propose a method based on analytical functions applied at threshold intervals. Our procedure separates the mature from the immature red blood cells and from the white blood cells through a decision based on gradient and radius values.
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Serebrennikova YM, Garcia-Rubio LH. Modeling and interpretation of extinction spectra of oriented nonspherical composite particles: application to biological cells. APPLIED OPTICS 2010; 49:4460-4471. [PMID: 20697450 DOI: 10.1364/ao.49.004460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The majority of cells and microorganisms have a nonspherical shape and complex structure that challenge the interpretation of their spectral features. To address this issue, two approximations to the core-shell Mie theory were proposed. These included the approximation of light extinction by an ellipsoid with representation of the extinction by an equivalent sphere and representation of the extinction by a population of ellipsoidal particles with those of two weighted particle orientations. These hypotheses were first tested through numerical interpretation of the theoretical extinction spectra of prolate nucleated ellipsoids mimicking biological cells generated with anomalous diffraction approximation used as a reference method. Theoretical cases of fixed and random particle orientations demonstrated excellent capabilities of the proposed approach to retrieve the size, shape, and composition parameters of the model particles. Second, the UV-visible spectra of Leishmania species, promastigotes, elongated cells with prominent nuclei, were interpreted. The retrieved estimates of the protozoa size, shape, nucleus size, and nucleotide composition were in agreement with the corresponding microscopy estimates and literature values. Both theoretical tests and experimental results illustrated that the proposed approach can be successfully applied to estimate the structural and compositional parameters of cells from spectroscopic measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia M Serebrennikova
- Claro Scientific, LLC, 10100 Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Street North, Saint Petersburg, Florida 33706, USA.
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