title: Conditional prerequisites for microchannel cytologic analysis on wet mount (fluid-based) biopsies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advanced capabilities in genomic sequencing developed in the research sector will soon enter the clinical arena. Issues such as the proportioning of patient specimen material for traditional bright-field microscopic evaluation or dedication for molecular analysis will intensify, particularly in situations of small core biopsies. Microfluidics appears aptly suited as a platform capable of allowing traditional cytologic diagnostics and downstream molecular analysis from the same specimen. However, clarification is needed to determine that forces which act on cells in a fluidic environment do not drastically alter their cytologic features.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cells were processed for flow-through in a microfluidic channel and evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively for alterations due to fluid-shear stress or anoikis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Processing caused separation of cells from cohesive clusters to smaller groups and individual cells, leading to greater variation in parameters associated with the nucleus in nontumor cells but no significant change in tumor cells. These differences were most readily apparent by quantitative measures, and to a lesser extent, qualitative evaluation. Time-dependent processing played a larger role in cytologic alteration than fluid-shear stress for nontumor cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Passage of cells through a microfluidic channel is a feasible approach that can be integrated into future platforms intent on integrating cytologic assessment of cells with recovery of the same cells for downstream assays.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York.
authors.forename: Wilfrido
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mojica
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bassey
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Brigid
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hannahoe
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hard
authors.forename: Edward P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Furlani
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D023102:Anoikis; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D033081:Shear Strength; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
keywords: anoikis; cytology; fluid-based biopsy; fluid-shear stress; microfluidic channel