Exercise-induced immune cell apoptosis: image-based model for morphological assessment

Methods of assessing exercise-induced lymphocyte apoptosis have produced varying results. While morphological methods generally yield a significantly greater apoptotic index compared to those employing biochemical markers, benefits and limitations are associated with each methodology. Of interest in this report is the limitation of subjectivity associated with the morphological technique. To overcome the lack of objectivity associated with the morphological method, we describe an image-based approach by which computer software assesses the characteristics associated with lymphocyte apoptosis. A stochastic controlled deformable model can be employed to detect the classic morphological apoptotic changes induced by exercise, including membrane blebbing and the formation of apoptotic bodies. We propose that an objective evaluation of multiple points in the apoptotic process through the proposed model in conjunction with current biomarker methods has the potential to advance our understanding of the exercise-induced immune cell death response to a greater degree than current methods.