Application of recent stereological tools for unbiased three-dimensional estimation of number and size of nuclei in renal cell carcinoma samples.
New stereological methods have appeared in recent years that allow an unbiased and efficient estimation of quantitative characteristics of three-dimensional biological structures. The aim of this study is to apply the new stereological tools on renal tissue and investigate the changes in the number and size of nuclei in renal cell carcinomas. The simple and easy use of the disector, point-sampled intercepts and selector methods on kidney biopsies is demonstrated. Using these approaches, the mean number of nuclei per unit reference volume: NV(nucl/tis), the volume-weighted mean nuclear volume: nu V(nucl) and the number-weighted mean nuclear volume: nu N(nucl) were estimated in histological sections from 20 renal cell carcinomas. The study was performed on 10 grade 2 and 10 grade 3 renal cell carcinomas previously diagnosed by the pathologist on the basis of nuclear size increase, irregularity and nucleolar prominence. Basically, serial optical kidney sections from a 25-millimicrons thick slice were used for stereological study. The size estimations of the individual particles nu V(nucl) and nu N(nucl) obtained by the 'point-sampled intercepts' and 'selector' methods, respectively, turned out to be the most adequate parameters employed in discriminating between renal carcinoma grades (P less than or = 0.001).
Artacho-Pérula
E
E
Department of Histology and Pathology, University of Córdoba, Spain.
Roldán-Villalobos
R
R
Blanco-Rodríguez
A
A
D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D010316:Particle Size; D010340:Pathology, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D010780:Photogrammetry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods