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Combination of digital image analysis and polarization microscopy: theoretical considerations and experimental data.

The potentialities of polarization microscopy has been greatly increased by using specific stains for selective enhancement of the optical anisotropy of a macromolecular constituent of cells and tissues. Such stainings have proved to be especially useful in exploring the spatial orientation pattern of the extracellular matrix components. The retardation value, which characterizes quantitatively the degree of submicroscopic orientation, can be measured traditionally with a compensator plate. This technique, however, is time-consuming and greatly dependent on visual judgment. Several attempts have been made to combine digital image analysis and polarization microscopy to improve the measuring technique in unstained structures. In this paper, we summarize theoretical considerations and experimental data to show the advantages and limitations of this methodological approach when using stained and birefringent specimens. The technique we are suggesting is the measurement of the light intensity using a 12 bit cCCD camera attached to a polarized light microscope and digital image analysis system. The theoretical basis is given by the Fresnel equation describing the relationship between light intensity and retardation value. According to this, there is a sin2 function between the light intensity and the retardation value. The same relationship of these two parameters was observed in our experiments on the birefringent extracellular matrix around chondrocytes grown in agarose gel and interterritorial and territorial matrix of canine articular cartilage stained with picrosirius red. Our results suggest that the retardation values can be calculated directly from the light intensity values if the retardation value is lower than lambda/2.

Animals↗

Cytometric evidence that cervical intraepithelial neoplasia I and II are dysplasias rather than true neoplasias. An image analysis study of factors involved in the progression of cervical lesions.

Image analysis was performed on 40 Feulgen-stained histologic samples and 48 Feulgen-stained cytologic preparations representing normal squamous epithelium and all grades of cervical lesions (from mild dysplasia to invasive carcinoma) in order to characterize the evolutionary progressive changes in cervical epithelial proliferative disease toward malignancy. Quantitative studies included the analysis of proliferative features, differentiation features, nuclear morphology and DNA content. The data obtained on the histologic sections showed that the various features, to a different extent, detected a gradual increase in phenotypic cellular disarrangements related to the progression of the cervical lesions toward malignancy--that is, the modifications to nuclear area, perimeter, DNA content, percentage of nuclei with nucleoli, nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio and percentage of cells with no membrane positivity for soybean agglutinin lectin were progressively greater, moving from normal epithelium and mild dysplasia toward infiltrating carcinoma. In particular, all the morphologic and histochemical features appeared to parallel a diploid reduction and the appearance of aneuploidy. The simultaneous evaluation of proliferation- and differentiation-related features, together with those of nuclear DNA content, showed two main successive preneoplastic lesions: one characterized by an increase in cell turnover without alterations in its organization and another by a true neoplastic disorder. The data obtained on sequential cytologic examinations showed that individual cell changes are detectable and seem basically to be characterized by the appearance of clusters of cells with somatic characteristics not observed in previous cytologic checks. From the results of our study, the cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) concept appears to be inaccurate. In fact, only CIN III (severe dysplasia/carcinoma in situ) lesions have the morphologic and proliferative alterations of true neoplasia. In contrast, CIN I and some cases of CIN II lesions lack these characteristics and seem to be properly classified as dysplasia, thus avoiding the term neoplasia, implicit in CIN. Moreover, the multivariate study of data sets of features related to the progressive somatic changes, both in histologically and cytologically studied cases, allows us to detect the steps of progression; they are marked by the appearance of cell clusters with qualitatively different phenotypic characters when compared to the cell populations from which they presumably arise. These results seem to provide a further argument against the CIN theory, which stresses the concept that progression is related only to a gradual numerical increase in an initially established phenotype with the characteristics of malignancy.

Biopsy↗

Automatic image analysis methods for the determination of stereological parameters - application to the analysis of densification during solid state sintering of WC-Co compacts

Automatic image analysis methods which were used to determine microstructural parameters of sintered materials are presented. Estimation of stereological parameters at interfaces, when the system contains more than two phases, is particularly detailed. It is shown that the specific surface areas and mean curvatures of the various interfaces can be estimated in the numerical space of the images. The methods are applied to the analysis of densification during solid state sintering of WC-Co compacts. The microstructural evolution is commented on. Application of microstructural measurements to the analysis of densification kinetics is also discussed.

Journal Article↗

Retinal vascular image analysis as a potential screening tool for cerebrovascular disease: a rationale based on homology between cerebral and retinal microvasculatures.

The retinal and cerebral microvasculatures share many morphological and physiological properties. Assessment of the cerebral microvasculature requires highly specialized and expensive techniques. The potential for using non-invasive clinical assessment of the retinal microvasculature as a marker of the state of the cerebrovasculature offers clear advantages, owing to the ease with which the retinal vasculature can be directly visualized in vivo and photographed due to its essential two-dimensional nature. The use of retinal digital image analysis is becoming increasingly common, and offers new techniques to analyse different aspects of retinal vascular topography, including retinal vascular widths, geometrical attributes at vessel bifurcations and vessel tracking. Being predominantly automated and objective, these techniques offer an exciting opportunity to study the potential to identify retinal microvascular abnormalities as markers of cerebrovascular pathology. In this review, we describe the anatomical and physiological homology between the retinal and cerebral microvasculatures. We review the evidence that retinal microvascular changes occur in cerebrovascular disease and review current retinal image analysis tools that may allow us to use different aspects of the retinal microvasculature as potential markers for the state of the cerebral microvasculature.

Aging↗

Progress towards automated diabetic ocular screening: a review of image analysis and intelligent systems for diabetic retinopathy.

Patients with diabetes require annual screening for effective timing of sight-saving treatment. However, the lack of screening and the shortage of ophthalmologists limit the ocular health care available. This is stimulating research into automated analysis of the reflectance images of the ocular fundus. Publications applicable to the automated screening of diabetic retinopathy are summarised. The review has been structured to mimic some of the processes that an ophthalmologist performs when examining the retina. Thus image processing tasks, such as vessel and lesion location, are reviewed before any intelligent or automated systems. Most research has been undertaken in identification of the retinal vasculature and analysis of early pathological changes. Progress has been made in the identification of the retinal vasculature and the more common pathological features, such as small aneurysms and exudates. Ancillary research into image preprocessing has also been identified. In summary, the advent of digital data sets has made image analysis more accessible, although questions regarding the assessment of individual algorithms and whole systems are only just being addressed.

Diabetic Retinopathy↗

Evaluation of an automated image analysis system for counting human tumor colonies.

The Omnicon FAS II image analysis system was applied to counting tumor colonies grown in a soft agar human tumor clonogenic assay with a detailed protocol designed to assess the instrument's sensitivity, specificity, precision, and accuracy. Comparisons of technician and instrument counts were done on a blinded basis. Sensitivity studies (which used metal microspheres) yielded a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.999 between technicians and the counter. A field-by-field analysis of the instrument's specificity for identifying individual objects correctly as tumor colonies rather than artifacts (as identified by the technician) was excellent (r = 0.95). In the precision studies (determined with repeated automated counting of the same samples for five days), the median coefficient of variation was less than 7%. Accuracy was evaluated on cultures of fresh biopsies from 30 human cancers obtained for drug sensitivity testing as well as on a series of tumor cell lines. The correlation between the mean number of colonies counted by the technicians and by the colony counter was greater than 0.91. Similar comparisons of mean percent survival of tumor colony-forming cells after drug exposure between technician and machine were also quite acceptable (r = 0.85). We conclude that the colony counter provided sufficient reliability to be applied to counting human tumor colonies grown in vitro. In addition, the colony counter performed the Petri dish counts ten times faster than experienced technicians and without associated operator fatigue.

Animals↗

Alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase protein expression is associated with the degree of differentiation in breast cancer using quantitative image analysis.

Alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR) is an enzyme involved in the metabolism of fatty acids and is an important tissue biomarker in the prostate to distinguish normal glands from prostate cancer. Here, for the first time, we evaluated the expression of AMACR protein in normal breast, ductal carcinoma in situ, and invasive carcinomas. By immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry, AMACR was seen in cytoplasmic granules consistent with a mitochondrial and peroxisomal localization. AMACR expression was determined by immunohistochemistry on 160 invasive carcinomas with long follow-up, using a high-density tissue microarray, and evaluated by two methods: standard pathology review and quantitative image analysis. AMACR was overexpressed in 42 of 160 (26%) invasive carcinomas, and it was associated with a decrease in tumor differentiation, a feature of aggressive breast cancer. Quantitative analysis allowed for better discrimination and more accurate evaluation of low-intensity staining. In conclusion, AMACR protein is expressed in normal breast and its expression seems to increase in invasive carcinomas. We observed stronger AMACR protein expression in high-grade carcinomas when compared with low-grade ones. Quantitative image analysis is a novel way to accurately and reproducibly evaluate immunohistochemistry in breast tissue samples using high-density tissue microarrays.

Adult↗

An image analysis technique for detection of radiation-induced DNA fragmentation after CHEF electrophoresis.

CHEF-electrophoresis was used as a technique to detect radiation-induced DNA breakage with special emphasis to biological relevant X-ray doses (0-10 Gy). Fluorescence detection of DNA-fragments using a sensitive image analysis system was directly compared with conventional scintillation counting of 3H-thymidine prelabelled DNA in HeLa S3 cells. It is shown that the image analysis-based fluorescence detection of fragmented DNA after ionizing radiation is as sensitive and reproducible as detection using radioactively prelabelled cells without the putative shortcomings of fluorescence detection methods described earlier (Blöcher and Kuhni 1990). Therefore, the image analysis-based detection of radiation-induced DNA fragmentation after CHEF electrophoresis seems to be the most reliable method for applications to non-cycling cells and biopsy material.

DNA↗

Cigarette smoking associated with premature facial wrinkling: image analysis of facial skin replicas.

BACKGROUND: Despite the obvious relation between smoking and facial wrinkling, grossly undetectable wrinkling and the consequences of smoking on the face have been poorly studied. OBJECTIVE: To assess the risk factor of cigarette smoking on the development of premature facial wrinkling. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-three nonsmokers, 160 current smokers, and 67 past smokers, aged 20-69 years, were studied. Cigarette smoking status, weight changes, average sun exposure time (recreational and occupational) in 1 month, and past medical and facial cosmetic surgery were quantified by self-questionnaire. Computerized image analysis of silicone skin replicas was used in addition to clinical visual measurement, and a severity score based on predetermined criteria was assigned to each patient. RESULTS: Current smokers have a higher degree of facial wrinkling than nonsmokers and past smokers. Past smokers who smoked heavily at a younger age show less facial wrinkling than current smokers. In the analysis, which was adjusted for age group, the relative risk of moderate to severe wrinkling for current smokers compared with nonsmokers was 2.72 (confidence interval, CI: 1.32-3.21, P < 0.05). In current smokers, the relative risks associated with more than 19 pack-years and 11-19 pack-years of smoking compared with nonsmokers were 2.93 (CI: 1.14-4.1, P < 0.05) and 1.75 (CI: 1.54-3.67, P < 0.05), respectively. On image analysis of facial skin replicas, the mean values of Ra (arithmetic average roughness), Rz (average roughness), and Rt (distance between the highest and lowest values) of current smokers were higher than those of nonsmokers and past smokers in all age groups. This indicates a strong correlation between cigarette smoking and skin wrinkling. In addition, microscopic superficial wrinkling (Ra and Rt) was noted in current smokers in the younger age group (20-39 years). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that attention should be paid to smoking-associated facial wrinkling (not evident from a visual assessment) in young people and added to the list of disorders seemingly caused by smoking.

Adult↗

Quantification of microglial late reaction to stereotactic irradiation of the rat brain using computer-aided image analysis.

The role of microglial cells in the late delayed reaction following radiotherapy of brain tumors has not been elucidated. To investigate the late delayed response of microglial cells to radiation, we stereotactically irradiated spherical treatment volumes in the right frontal lobe of rat brains. Doses of 20, 30, 40, and 50 Gy were used in combination with two different collimators. The response of microglial cells at 10 and 19 months after irradiation was determined with Anti-CD 11 b/c (Ox 42) as an immunohistochemical marker. For evaluation of immunostaining, we developed a method using computer-aided image analysis in which the ratio of the area of stained cells to that of nonstained brain tissue is calculated. In addition, quantification of Ox-42+ cells per microscopic field was performed. Animals treated with 30 Gy or more had significantly increased total areas of staining at both time points studied. In contrast, the number of stained cells at 10 months increased significantly only in animals treated with 30 or 40 Gy. Likewise, at 19 months, this number increased significantly only in animals treated with 40 Gy or more. These results indicate that computer-aided determination of the area of stained cells is more sensitive than the counting of stained cells. We have demonstrated that microglial cells respond to stereotactic irradiation in a dose-dependent fashion. The image analysis we employed for this purpose is a systematic method to evaluate immunohistochemical staining.

Animals↗

Computer-assisted densitometric image analysis in periodontal radiography. A methodological study.

A videobased computer assisted densitometric image analysis (CADIA) system to quantify alveolar bone density changes on standardized dental radiographs was tested. An algorithm was used for grey level correction of a subsequent image to the baseline image. Quantitative information regarding positive and/or negative grey level changes were obtained automatically. Comparison of the ability of CADIA to detect surgically induced bone loss with interpretation of digital subtraction images and conventional radiographic interpretation revealed that CADIA was the most sensitive of the 3 methods, followed by interpretation of digital subtraction images which was considerably more sensitive than conventional radiographic interpretation. CADIA was capable of assessing differences in alveolar bone changes due to periodontal surgery between sites exposed to ostectomy/osteoplasty and control sites and sites exposed to periodontal surgery without ostectomy/osteoplasty. Finally, CADIA was capable of assessing differences in remodeling activity over 4-6 weeks after periodontal surgery between 45 surgical sites and 45 control sites. The system offers an objective method to quantitatively follow alveolar bone density changes over time and appears to be the most sensitive of previously described radiographic interpretation techniques.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

Tissue heterogeneity of immunohistochemically detected estrogen receptor. Implications for image analysis quantification.

The increasingly popular immunohistochemical techniques for assay of the estrogen receptor (ER) allow localization of receptor positivity to specific cell populations. Heterogeneity of the ER in tumor cell populations may have important implications for analytic cell selection and for prognosis in ER-positive carcinomas. We studied 84 tissue blocks for level-to-level and geographic heterogeneity within level of the ER and cytokeratin by staining alternate serial sections for ER and cytokeratin. Distribution of ER and cytokeratin positivity was manually assessed. Homogenous positive staining was seen in 63 of 84 cases for ER and 71 of 84 cases for cytokeratin. Distinct geographic variability constant from level to level was seen in 7 cases for ER. In each of these cases, the cell populations stained uniformly for cytokeratin. Artifactual heterogeneity seemed to be uncommon for ER. Automated image analysis and manual ER estimation resulted in more positive cases than did the dextran-coated charcoal (DCC) technique. Interobserver correlation for the manual method seemed high, as did correlation between the manual method and image analysis. Because a majority of the immunohistochemical staining heterogeneity for ER seemed to be biologic, we believe it may mark carcinomas that are less responsive to tamoxifen and more likely to progress than would be predicted by more traditional methods of ER analysis.

Humans↗

FHIT protein expression and its relation to apoptosis, tumor histologic grade and prognosis in colorectal adenocarcinoma: an immunohistochemical and image analysis study.

The FHIT gene, a member of the histidine triad family has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene. Molecular genetic approaches to determine alterations in the FHIT gene in colorectal cancers have produced varying results with reported abnormalities of the FHIT gene transcripts in 13% to 50% of cases studied. FHIT has been reported to be involved in the regulation of apoptosis and cell cycle in cell culture systems. Immunohistochemical (IHC) studies of FHIT expression in human colon cancer and its correlation to apoptosis and clinical prognosis have been sparse. We studied 100 human colorectal cancers by IHC and a computerized image analysis (CIA) method to evaluate FHIT expression and the rate of apoptosis in tumors and corresponding mucosae. Follow-up data for at least five years was available for all patients. We correlated the results with tumor grade, stage and clinical prognosis. We used commercially available polyclonal anti FHIT antibody and Apoptaq kit on paraffin-embedded tumors and their corresponding mucosae and the SAMBA 4000 CIA system to evaluate the labeling index (LI), the mean optical density (MOD) of the stain and calculate a quick score (QS). The LI is the ratio of positively stained areas to the total area of the tissues examined, the MOD represents the concentration of the positive stain as measured per positive pixels and the QS a numeric product of the LI and MOD for each microscopic area examined. Image analysis of IHC staining of the tumor sections defined three main groups based on the reactivity of the anti FHIT polyclonal antibody. Group I included 23 cases where the LI was less than 55% with a mean of 36%. Eight cases in this group showed complete loss of FHIT expression. Group II included 41 cases where the LI was between 55% and 65% with a mean of 60%. Group III was composed of 36 cases where the LI was more than 65% with a mean of 69%. Our data showed that the absence or reduction of FHIT protein in the tumors, relative to morphologically normal mucosa, plays a role in the development of a few colorectal cancers (23%). Poorly differentiated carcinomas showed absent or decreased FHIT. A reduction of FHIT was positively correlated with the rate of distant metastases and worse prognosis. Over-expression of FHIT is directly proportional to the apoptotic rate in the tumors examined. CIA provides an objective and accurate assessment of the staining patterns and generates numerical data evaluating intensity better than depending on subjective light microscopy alone.

Acid Anhydride Hydrolases↗

EELS elemental mapping with unconventional methods. I. Theoretical basis: image analysis with multivariate statistics and entropy concepts.

Electron energy loss filtered images recorded within a transmission analytical electron microscope are now widely used for the mapping of the elemental distribution of a given atomic species in a specimen prepared as a thin film. Such an image processing may produce both valuable results and artifacts if a careful inspection of all the hypotheses needed by the calculation is not carried out. This paper presents some general statistical methods for a contrast information analysis of a noisy image data set. After a brief introduction of different concepts such as contrast, variance, information and entropy, two unconventional approaches for image analysis are explained: the relative entropy computed with respect to a pure random and signal-free image and the factorial analysis of correspondence (a branch of multivariate statistics). In the companion article (part II), these concepts are applied to real experiments and the results compared with those obtained with a conventional method. Although electron energy loss spectroscopy is the only technique considered here, these methods for image analysis can be applied to a wide variety of noisy data sets (spectra, images, ...) recorded from various sources (electrons, photons, ...).

Algorithms↗

Quantitative assessment of bleomycin-induced poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in human lymphocytes by immunofluorescence and image analysis.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is a nuclear enzyme that is catalytically activated by DNA strand interruptions. It catalyses the covalent modification of proteins with ADP-ribose polymers, using NAD(+) as precursor. Here, we have studied the DNA damage-induced formation of poly(ADP-ribose) in intact human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) by in-situ immunofluorescence detection. The response of PBL to bleomycin (BLM), which is known to induce DNA single and double strand breaks, was investigated with regard to polymer formation. For this purpose, a quantitative approach was developed to assess more accurately the immunostaining of polymer formation by computerised image analysis. As an application of this new method, we have determined the polymer formation following BLM treatment in quiescent human PBL versus mitogen activated cells. Quiescent human PBL showed a similar basal immunostaining for the polymer compared to phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-activated cells, expressed as relative mean pixel intensity (RMPI) (1.3+/-0.8 and 2.2+/-0.9, respectively; P<0.3). After BLM treatment, there was a clear-cut enhancement of polymer immunostaining, with PHA-activated cells showing significantly higher RMPI than non-activated cells (9.2+/-1.4 and 4.2+/-1.0, respectively; P<0.005). As expected, in the presence of the ADP-ribosylation inhibitor 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB), the RMPI of immunostained polymer was decreased in both quiescent and PHA-activated PBL to 1.2+/-0.7 and 1.5+/-0.9, respectively. Our findings reveal (i) that mitogen-stimulated, intact lymphocytes show enhanced polymer formation following BLM treatment, and (ii) that our new quantitative immunofluorescence assay coupled with computerised image analysis is reliable and sensitive enough to detect changes in polymer formation rate.

Adult↗

In vivo modulation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen in growth plate chondrocytes from normal, hypophysectomized, growth hormone-treated hypophysectomized rats: a comparative immunohistochemical study with image analysis.

Growth hormone (GH) regulates the proliferation and maturation of chondrocytes in the epiphyseal growth plate, in which a temporal dimension is superimposed on the septal organization of the tissue. In this study we investigated the in vivo effects of hypophysectomy (Hypox) and injection of GH into Hypox animals (Hypox + GH) on the proliferative activity of the growth plate chondrocytes. We assessed the immunohistochemical expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in paraffin-embedded tissues, using monoclonal antibody PC 10 against PCNA combined with immunogold-silver staining. We subjected the immunostained sections to computer-based image analysis by ACAS 570 interactive laser cytometry employing a conventional microscopic light source. Hypox was carried out on 20 rats at 8 weeks of age, half of which received a hypodermic injection of human GH at a dose of 1 IU/kg twice a day for 1 week after the operation. Another group of five rats of the same age were used as normal controls. In normal rats, a distinct PCNA immunoreaction was observed in the proliferative zone, whereas a remarkable diminution of the number of immunoreactive cells in this zone was apparent in Hypox animals. On the other hand, marked hyperplasia of PCNA-positive cells was seen in the proliferative zone of the Hypox + GH rat growth plate. The immunoreactive cells of this zone in Hypox + GH animals exhibited increased nuclear size and staining intensity of PCNA compared with those in normal and Hypox rats. These findings were further confirmed by computer-based image analysis of the specimens in terms of cell integrated value, area, perimeter, and shape factor. These different patterns of PCNA expression may imply that GH specifically promotes the proliferation phase of the chondrocytes in the proliferative zone. The data also suggest that GH influences not only cell replication activity but also cell kinetics of chondrocytes in the growth plate during their lifespan.

Animals↗

Objective measurement of breast cancer oestrogen receptor status through digital image analysis.

AIMS: The authors have previously described quantitative, computer-assisted analysis of oestrogen receptor status in immuno-histochemically stained sections in patients with primary breast cancer. The aim of this study was to validate the aforementioned system against the commonly used methods of assessing oestrogen receptor status. METHODS: Paraffin embedded sections from 156 patients with primary breast carcinoma were stained with anti-alpha-oestrogen receptor monoclonal antibody (1D5) using a standard immunohistochemical protocol. Images from 10 high-powered fields were captured from each section using a digital camera mounted on a microscope and analyzed using Adobe Photoshop image analysis software. A nuclear mask was obtained by digitally selecting the nuclear area. Staining intensity in the nuclear mask was then analyzed using red-scale absorption characteristics. Manual assessment of oestrogen receptor status was performed through counting the percentages of cells that are positive from 200 randomly sampled nuclei from ten high powered fields HPF. Cut off value for positivity was taken as 10%. Cytosolic oestrogen receptor concentration was measured through enzyme immunisation. Cut off value for ER positivity was taken as 200 fmol/g (wet tissue). RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-six sections were studied of which 41 were ER negative. Median percentage positivity in the remainder was 90% (17-100) by manual assessment. The median red scale value was 108 (58-156). A close correlation was observed between median optical density of the nuclear mask and percentage positivity assessed manually (P<0.0001). There was a significant correlation between the optical density of the nuclear mask and cytosolic oestrogen receptor concentration (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Oestrogen receptor positivity can be accurately assessed through digital image analysis. This process offers objective data regarding the amount of oestrogen receptors within the nuclei as well as the percentage of nuclei, which express oestrogen receptors.

Adult↗