title: Digital imaging of colon tissue: method for evaluation of inflammation severity by spatial frequency features of the histological images.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The efficacy of histological analysis of colon sections used for evaluation of inflammation severity can be improved by means of digital imaging giving quantitative estimates of main diagnostic features. The aim of this study was to reveal most valuable diagnostic features reflecting inflammation severity in colon and elaborate the evaluation method for computer-aided diagnostics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue specimens from 24 BALB/c mice and 15 patients were included in the study. Chronic and acute colon inflammation in mice was induced by oral administration of dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) solution, while mice in the control group did not get DSS. Human samples of inflamed colon tissue were obtained from patients with ulcerative colitis (n = 6). Non-inflamed colon tissue of control subjects (n = 9) was obtained from patients with irritable bowel syndrome or functional obstipation. Analysis of morphological changes in mice and human colon mucosa was performed using 4-μm haematoxylin-eosin (HE) sections. The features reflecting morphological changes in the images of colon mucosa were calculated by convolution of Gabor filter bank and array of pixel values. All features were generalized by calculating mean, histogram skewness and entropy of every image response. Principal component analysis was used to construct optimal representation of morphological changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  First principal component (PC1) was representing the major part of features variation (97 % in mice and 71 % in human specimens) and was selected as a measure of inflammation severity. Validation of new measure was performed by means of custom-made software realizing double blind comparison of differences in PC1 with expert's opinion about inflammation severity presented in two compared pictures. Overall accuracy of 80 % for mice and 67 % for human was reached.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Principal component analysis of spatial frequency features of histological images may provide continuous scale estimation of inflammation severity of colon tissue.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu str. 2, LT 50009, Kaunas, Lithuania. Robertas.Petrolis@lsmuni.lt.
authors.forename: Robertas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Petrolis
authors.affiliation: Institute for Digestive Research, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, LT 44307, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Rima
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramonaitė
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Pathology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, LT 50009, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Dainius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jančiauskas
authors.affiliation: Institute for Digestive Research, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, LT 44307, Lithuania.|Department of Gastroenterology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, LT 50161, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Juozas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kupčinskas
authors.affiliation: Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, LT 50009, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Rokas
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pečiulis
authors.affiliation: Institute for Digestive Research, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, LT 44307, Lithuania.|Department of Gastroenterology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, LT 50161, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Limas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kupčinskas
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Eiveniu str. 2, LT 50009, Kaunas, Lithuania.|Department of Physics, Mathematics and Biophysics, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, LT 50009, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Algimantas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kriščiukaitis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003092:Colitis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D025341:Principal Component Analysis