Sumiko Watanabe

Analysis of Nuclear Chromatin Distribution in Cervical Glandular Abnormalities

OBJECTIVE To measure the intensity of hematoxylin staining for the analysis of chromatin distribution and to define a clear set of standards. STUDY DESIGN Cervical smears obtained from 12 patients with glandular lesions, 5 with squamous lesions and 3 without cervical lesions were used for NIH image analysis (public domain NIH image program developed at the U.S. National Institute of Health, available through the Internet by anonymous ftp from zippy.nimh.nih.gov or on floppy disk from the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia). In addition, the same cervical smears were restained with propidium iodide, and the DNA content in the nuclei was compared with that with hematoxylin staining. RESULTS Chromatin distribution was categorized into 3 patterns. Pattern A was that for which the highest staining density was localized in the periphery of the nucleus, while in pattern C it was localized in the center of the nucleus. Pattern B was the intermediate type between patterns A and C. In patients with adenocarcinoma, pattern B was predominant; pattern C was also relatively frequent in this group. In atypical glandular cells observed in patients with squamous lesions, patterns A and B were predominant and pattern C rarely seen. Analysis of DNA content in the nucleus revealed that nuclei showing pattern B contained significantly higher quantities of DNA than those showing pattern A. CONCLUSION Nuclear chromatin distribution seems to correlate well with DNA content, and analysis of the chromatin distribution pattern is helpful for the diagnosis of cervical glandular neoplasia.

Quantitative image analysis of nuclear chromatin distribution for cytological diagnosis.

Objective: We previously reported on the classification of the nuclear chromatin distribution into 3 types, that is peripheral (P), mixed (M) and central (C), which were related to the malignancy of cervical glandular lesions. However, the classification was subjective as it was performed by visual assessment. In the present study, quantitative assessment of nuclear chromatin distribution using image analysis by computer was applied for objective classification of cervical squamous epithelial lesions, which are the most common cervical lesions. Study Design: A total of 130 cells (44 cells of type P, 78 of type M and 8 of type C) from cytological specimens of cervical squamous epithelial lesions (dysplasia, squamous cell carcinoma) were analyzed. An image analysis program was developed as a plug-in macro program of an existing image processing software. The radial distribution (RD) value, which represents the gradient of the staining intensity from the center to the edge of a nucleus, was defined as an index of the chromatin distribution. Results: The RD values calculated in type P, type M and type C cells showed significant statistical differences as assessed by the t test (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Quantification of the nuclear chromatin distribution by image analysis is fast and highly objective. The RD value could be useful as an index for malignancy.

Endometrial metaplasia: correlation of histological and cytological specimens obtained from 103 cases undergoing hysterectomy for endometrial carcinoma

To assess the frequency of endometrial metaplasia in histological and cytological specimens from the same cases, and to determine the relationship between various types of metaplasia and clinicopathological findings.

Diagnostic value of squamous cell change associated with endometrial carcinoma: A cytopathologic approach.

To determine the frequency of squamous cell change associated with endometrial carcinoma, to evaluate the relationship between squamous cell change and clinicopathological features, and to assess cytological findings for squamous cells with and without nuclear atypia in endometrial smears.

Cytological study of early cervical adenocarcinoma: special reference to the depth of invasion

Objective:  Early cervical adenocarcinoma (ECA) with a tumour depth of <3 mm has a good prognosis. To clarify the cytological features of ECAs with depth <3 mm, these were compared with those of ECA with 3–5 mm and invasive adenocarcinoma (IA) invading the cervical wall with more than 5 mm in depth.

Serum starvation induces abnormal spindle location, RhoA delocalization, and extension of intercellular bridge with the midbody

Abstract Serum starvation induces binucleation in HeLa cells, but the effects of serum starvation on mitosis and the significance of binucleation remain unknown. We investigated the effect of serum starvation on mitosis and analyzed the growth of binucleated cells. The frequency of binucleation caused by cytokinesis failure in DMEM without FBS (0% medium) was higher than that in DMEM with FBS (10% medium). In 0% medium, the metaphase spindle location was off-center, and RhoA localization significantly lacked symmetry. The frequency of the extension of intercellular bridge with the midbody in 0% medium was significantly higher than that in 10% medium. Moreover, all mononucleated mitotic cells caused bipolar mitosis and produced only mononucleated daughter cells, but binucleated cells produced various nucleated cells by multipolar mitosis in 0% medium. These results suggest that serum starvation may have various effects on mitosis, and binucleated cells may be related to formation of aneuploidy. RhoA localization in two different media.

Identification of intranuclear inclusions is useful for the cytological diagnosis of ovarian clear cell carcinoma

The aim of this study was to clarify the diagnostic significance of the presence of intranuclear inclusions in clear cell carcinoma (CCC).