Nuclear chromatin texture in rectal cancer. Relationship to tumor stage

To characterize, by morphometric and chromatin texture analysis, a series of rectal carcinomas classified according to Dukes staging.

High-resolution imagery of 6,001 nuclei from 51 specimens of rectal carcinoma and 22 specimens of normal rectal tissue was digitally recorded. A set of 93 features descriptive of the spatial and statistical distribution of nuclear chromatin was computed for each nucleus to form a characteristic signature.

Rectal carcinomas were significantly different from normal rectum in their digital signature. Eleven karyometric features, such as nuclear area and total optical density, were clearly different between the groups, with significant differences found in analysis of 8 of those features. The most distinctive pattern in lesion signatures in comparison with normal rectal tissue was observed at Dukes' stage D. However, the highest average signature values were seen at Dukes' stage B. The lesion signatures and total optical density observed in cancer specimens deviated markedly from values in the normal group.

Chromatin texture signature proved to be a useful method of identifying and characterizing nuclear differences between rectal carcinoma and normal rectal tissue.