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Fluorescence spectroscopy of epithelial tissue throughout the dysplasia-carcinoma sequence in an animal model:
L Coghlan1, U Utzinger, R Richards-Kortum
1Department of Veterinary Sciences, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park, Bastrop, Texas, USA.
Background And Objective:
The hamster cheek pouch carcinogenesis model, using chronic treatments of dimethylbenz[alpha]anthracene (DMBA) was used as a model system to investigate changes in epithelial tissue autofluorescence throughout the dysplasia-carcinoma sequence.
Study Design/Materials And Methods:
Fluorescence emission spectra were measured weekly from 42 DMBA-treated animals and 20 control animals at 337, 380, and 460 nm excitation. A subset of data in which histopathology was available was used to develop diagnostic algorithms to separate neoplastic and non-neoplastic tissue. The change in fluorescence intensity over time was examined in all samples at excitation-emission wavelength pairs identified as diagnostically useful.
Results:
Algorithms based on autofluorescence can separate neoplastic and non-neoplastic tissue with 95% sensitivity and 93% specificity. Greatest contributions to diagnostic algorithms are obtained at 380 nm excitation, and 430, 470, and 600 nm emission. Changes in fluorescence intensity are apparent as early as 3 weeks after initial treatment with DMBA, whereas morphologic changes associated with dysplasia occur on average at 7.5-12.5 weeks after initial treatment.
Conclusions:
Fluorescence spectroscopy provides a potential tool to identify biochemical changes associated with dysplasia and hyperplasia, which precede morphologic changes observed in histologically stained sections.