Objective: Since well-differentiated adenocarcinoma cells of the lung (G1 cancer cells) show mild atypia, their differentiation from benign columnar epithelial cells (benign cells) is often difficult based on morphology. We performed discriminant analysis to distinguish benign from malignant cells by measuring 3-dimensional (3D) changes in nuclear luminance. Study Design: Discriminant analysis of 231 atypical cells prepared by bronchial brushing cytology, which were difficult to morphologically classify as benign or malignant, was performed using 100 G1 cancer cells. One hundred benign cells of bronchial brushing cytology specimens served as controls. The number of pixels of the nucleus, the number of focus layers and the level of change in the coefficient of variation (CV) of nuclear luminance between layers (3D-CV) were used as analytic parameters, and benign cells were discriminated from malignant cells based on the Mahalanobis distance. Results: As a result of discriminant analysis using a cutoff value determined in the control group, about 90% of the atypical cells difficult to classify as benign or malignant could be classified. Conclusion: For cells difficult to morphologically classify as benign or malignant, discriminant analysis based on 3D changes in nuclear luminance may be useful. This method can provide objective parameters for cancer diagnosis.

1.
Jemal A, Siegel R, Ward E, Hao Y, Xu J, Murray T, Thun MJ: Cancer statistics, 2008. CA Cancer J Clin 2008;58:71–96.
2.
Ueno T, Iwasaki A, Yamamoto S: Clinical study of resected lung adenocarcinoma 10 mm or less in diameter. JACSURG 2007;21:776–783.
3.
Washiya K, Konno T, Ishii A, Tokairin T, Ono I: Evaluation of the urine cytodiagnosis using simple method of measuring nucleus brightness histogram. J Jpn Soc Clin Cytol 2008;47:154–155.
4.
Washiya K, Kanno T, Tone K, Kojima K, Kijima H, Watanabe J: Three-dimensional nuclear luminance analysis in well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the lung. Acta Cytol 2011;55:350–356.
5.
Hultgren S, Hidvegi DF: Improved transmission electron microscopy technique for the study of cytologic material. Acta Cytol 1985;29:179–183.
6.
Nunobiki O, Sato M, Taniguchi E, Nakamura Y, Mori I, Kakudo K: Morphometric characterization of endometrial glands using quantitative cytology. Anal Quant Cytol Histol 2001;23:201–206.
7.
Drezek R, Guillaud M, Macaulay C, Collier T, Boiko I, Malpica A, Follen M, Kortum RR: Light scattering from cervical cells throughout neoplastic progression: influence of nuclear morphology, DNA content, and chromatin texture. J Biomed 2003;8:7–16.
8.
Harashima S, Tsuzuku M: Evaluation of cytological findings added to three-dimensional nuclear atypia of breast diseases using multivariate statistical analysis. J Jpn Soc Clin Cytol 1998;37:13–20.
9.
Huisman A, Ploeger LS, Dullens HF, Jonges TN, Belien JA, Meijer GA, Poulin N, Grizzle WE, van Diest PJ: Discrimination between benign and malignant prostate tissue using chromatin texture analysis in 3-D by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Prostate 2007;67:248–254.
10.
Choi HJ, Kim TY, Choi HK: 3D nuclear cytometric feature analysis for renal cell carcinoma grading. J eHealth Technol Appl 2010;8:96–100.
11.
Murata S, Mochizuki K, Nakazawa T, Kondo T, Nakamura N, Yamashita H, Urata Y, Ashihara T, Katoh R: Detection of underlying characteristics of nuclear chromatin patterns of thyroid tumor cells using texture and factor analyses. Cytometry 2002;49:91–95.
12.
Sugisita M, Tenjin Y: Correlation between nuclear DNA content and cellular morphology in endometrial cancer: analysis by cell sorting with flow cytometry. Acta Obstet Gynaecol Jpn 1986;38:195–202.
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.