title: Automatic Detection of Mitosis and Nuclei From Cytogenetic Images by CellProfiler Software for Mitotic Index Estimation.
abstract: Mitotic Index (MI) estimation expressed as percentage of mitosis plays an important role as quality control endpoint. To this end, MI is applied to check the lot of media and reagents to be used throughout the assay and also to check cellular viability after blood sample shipping, indicating satisfactory/unsatisfactory conditions for the progression of cell culture. The objective of this paper was to apply the CellProfiler open-source software for automatic detection of mitotic and nuclei figures from digitized images of cultured human lymphocytes for MI assessment, and to compare its performance to that performed through semi-automatic and visual detection. Lymphocytes were irradiated and cultured for mitosis detection. Sets of images from cultures were analyzed visually and findings were compared with those using CellProfiler software. The CellProfiler pipeline includes the detection of nuclei and mitosis with 80% sensitivity and more than 99% specificity. We conclude that CellProfiler is a reliable tool for counting mitosis and nuclei from cytogenetic images, saves considerable time compared to manual operation and reduces the variability derived from the scoring criteria of different scorers. The CellProfiler automated pipeline achieves good agreement with visual counting workflow, i.e. it allows fully automated mitotic and nuclei scoring in cytogenetic images yielding reliable information with minimal user intervention.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Radiobiología, Centro de Protección e Higiene de las Radiaciones, La Habana, Cuba jorgee@cphr.edu.cu.
authors.forename: Jorge Ernesto
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear, Av. Del Libertador 8250, C1429BNP, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Analía
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radl
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Radiobiología, Centro de Protección e Higiene de las Radiaciones, La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Ivonne
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.affiliation: Unitat d'AntropologiaBiològica, Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan Francesc
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Barquinero
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Radiobiología, Centro de Protección e Higiene de las Radiaciones, La Habana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear, Av. Del Libertador 8250, C1429BNP, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Giorgio
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008938:Mitosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008940:Mitotic Index / Q000379:methods*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software