Computer-assisted and visual methods of assessing cellular proliferation in tissue sections from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma a comparison.
OBJECTIVE
To compare computer-assisted and visual methods of assessing cellular proliferation using tissue sections from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).


METHODS
The study group consisted of 20 specimens of NHL (10 indolent and 10 aggressive). Three-micrometer serial sections were prepared and labeled for Ki-67 (MIB1) and argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs). Labeling was assessed by classic visual inspection and quantitative image analysis.


RESULTS
Computer-assisted and visual Ki-67 labeling indices were significantly higher in aggressive than indolent NHL and were linearly related (r = .850, P < .0001). Although the visual and computer-assisted AgNOR counts were significantly higher in aggressive than indolent NHL, the correlation between these two counting methods was not significant (r = .407, P < .075). Linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between the Ki-67 visual labeling index and visual AgNOR count (r = .630, P < .003); however, no such relationship could be demonstrated between the remaining methods.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that visual and computer-assisted methods of immunohistochemical and AgNOR analysis may not yield comparable results. This fact may be related to the method of analysis and the computer-assisted technique.
Hendricks
J B
JB
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida Diagnostic Referral Laboratories, Gainesville, 32610-0275 USA.
Rainer
R
R
Munakata
S
S
D002455:Cell Division; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000473:pathology*; D008867:Microtomy; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000473:pathology*; D016196:S Phase; D016622:Silver Staining / Q000379:methods
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen