title: Nuclear morphology for the detection of alterations in bronchial cells from lung cancer: an attempt to improve sensitivity and specificity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify which morphologic or densitometric parameters are modified in cell nuclei from bronchopulmonary cancer based on 18 parameters involving shape, intensity, chromatin, texture, and DNA content and develop a bronchopulmonary cancer screening method relying on analysis of sputum sample cell nuclei.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 25 sputum samples from controls and 22 bronchial aspiration samples from patients presenting with bronchopulmonary cancer who were professionally exposed to cancer were used. After Feulgen staining, 18 morphologic and DNA content parameters were measured on cell nuclei, via image cytom- etry. A method was developed for analyzing distribution quantiles, compared with simply interpreting mean values, to characterize morphologic modifications in cell nuclei.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Distribution analysis of parameters enabled us to distinguish 13 of 18 parameters that demonstrated significant differences between controls and cancer cases. These parameters, used alone, enabled us to distinguish two population types, with both sensitivity and specificity > 70%. Three parameters offered 100% sensitivity and specificity. When mean values offered high sensitivity and specificity, comparable or higher sensitivity and specificity values were observed for at least one of the corresponding quantiles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Analysis of modification in morphologic parameters via distribution analysis proved promising for screening bronchopulmonary cancer from sputum.
authors: National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) ERI3 Cancers and Populations Team, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France. melanie.fafin-lefevre@inserm.fr
authors: Mélanie
authors: M
authors: Fafin-Lefevre
authors: Fabrice
authors: F
authors: Morlais
authors: Lydia
authors: L
authors: Guittet
authors: Bénédicte
authors: B
authors: Clin
authors: Guy
authors: G
authors: Launoy
authors: Françoise
authors: F
authors: Galateau-Sallé
authors: Benoît
authors: B
authors: Plancoulaine
authors: Paulette
authors: P
authors: Herlin
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Letourneux
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013183:Sputum / Q000166:cytology