title: In silico analyses reveal nuclear asymmetry of spongiocytes and compact cells of adrenocorticotrophic hormone-independent macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little information is available about the risk of progression of seemingly benign adrenocortical hyperplasias to carcinomatous conditions. Using in silico approaches of digitally archived tissue sections, the nuclear morphometric parameters were compared to assess nuclear asymmetry as an index for nuclear atypia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four groups of nuclei were used for the current study: spongiocytes and compact cells obtained from adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-independent macronodular hyperplasia, which were hypothesized to be high risk for nuclear asymmetry, and primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease and micronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia samples were used as internal controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses reveal high nuclear irregularity index of spongiocytes and shape factor abnormalities of both spongiocytes and compact cells of ACTH-independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasia compared with the other 2 groups (high F values and very low P values after analyses of variances), thus confirming the hypothesis that ACTH-independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasia present with subtle morphometric features of nuclear atypia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This probably puts this class of adrenocortical tumors at risk of dysplastic progression, and more studies are needed to test the hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology (QZ, JD, WG, GY, YM, JL), Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China; and Department of Endocrinology (QZ), General Hospital of Beijing Military Command, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jingtao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.forename: Weijun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Guoqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yiming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Juming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans