Discrimination of normal and transformed cells in vitro by cytologic and morphologic analysis

Malignant A-549 lung carcinoma and adenovirus-12 SV40 hybrid virus transformed non-tumorigenic human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) were objectively discriminated from normal bronchial epithelial (BE) cells on the basis of Papanicolaou stained nuclear features (e.g. shape, chromatin texture, hyperchromasia) and nucleolar morphology (e.g. number per cell, irregular contours). Morphometric analysis indicated that significant differences in cellular morphology existed between BE, BEAS-2B, and A-549 cells. Similar analyses of transformed, tumorigenic cell lines demonstrated that nuclear features (i.e., chromatin texture, clearing of parachromatin, hyperchromasia, variation in thickness of the nuclear envelope, sharp indentations in the nuclear envelope), and nucleolar features (i.e., degree of roundness, presence of angular projections, number per cell) discriminated chemically and virally transformed cells from spontaneously transformed cells. Nuclear and nucleolar features were correlated with the growth rate of tumorigenic cell lines. These analytical approaches will be helpful in studies of the effects of various factors (e.g. vitamin A, phorbol ester, oncogene transfection) on cellular proliferation and/or differentiation.