Use of an automated image analyser to quantitate cellular hyperplasia in urinary bladder epithelium

Abstract

The feasibility of using an automated image analyzer to evaluate quantitatively hyperplasia caused by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine in [rat] bladder epithelium was studied. The number of cells/unit length of epithelium was counted manually and compared with automated measurements of the number of nuclei, number of positive tangents to lower edge of nuclei, nuclear cross-sectional area and epithelial cross-sectional area/unit length, respectively. Regression of each automated measurement on manual counts all revealed close linear relationships with correlation coefficients in excess of 0.9. Coefficients of variation for repetitive automated measurements were less than or equal to 0.06 in each of the 4 modes. The automated system resulted in a great saving in time over manual counting. The automated image analyzer apparently provides an accurate, precise and efficient tool for estimating epithelial cell numbers in normal and hyperplastic bladder epithelia.