title: A new computational method for hepatic fat microvesicles counting in histological study in rats.
abstract: Liver steatosis was once believed to be a benign condition, with rare progression to chronic liver disease. Thus, in both clinical and experimental practice, it is fundamental to have a reliable and objective method for its precise quantification. An image analysis algorithm was developed and validated for automatically and rapidly quantifying hepatic fat microvesicles. The image processing algorithms automatically segmented interstitial steatosis areas and analyzed the threshold region. Automatic quantifications did not significantly differ from manual evaluations of means of the same areas. Comparison of our image analysis quantifications with staging of histologic evaluations of liver steatosis presented significant correlations that are based on the distribution patterns and on the area quantity of steatosis, respectively. The use of algorithms for analysis and image processing is a sensitive, precise, objective and reproducible method of quantifying hepatic fat microvesicles, which complements semi-quantitative histologic evaluation systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health, Federal University of Juiz de Fora - São Pedro, 36036-330 Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Céphora Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Sabarense
authors.forename: Keller Sullivan Oliveira
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Damiana Diniz
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: José Helvecio
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Marina Maria Lelis da Silva
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Fabyano Fonseca
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Brian Lynn
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Steward
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D003201:Computers; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D006652:Histological Techniques; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply*; D055806:Microvessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats