Factors interfering with the cell morphology in smears

Area of Science:

• Cytopathology
• Cell Biology
• Biomedical Imaging

Background:

• Cell morphology assessment in smears is crucial for diagnostics.
• Artifacts can significantly obscure cellular details and lead to misinterpretation.
• Understanding factors causing artifacts is essential for improving smear quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize factors that interfere with cell morphology in smears.
• To investigate the role of plasma proteins in artifact formation.
• To determine the optimal technique for minimizing artifacts in cell preparations.

Main Methods:

• Observation and documentation of various artifact types in cell smears.
• Analysis of the influence of plasma protein concentration and type on artifact generation.
• Comparison of different cell preparation techniques, including cytocentrifugation with protective media.

Main Results:

• Identified artifacts include cell lysis, protein detachment, smear rupture, crystal formation, leakage, shrinkage, vacuolization, and gammaglobulin-induced aggregation.
• Plasma protein type and concentration were found to significantly impact artifact characteristics.
• Cytocentrifugation of cells suspended in a cell-protecting medium resulted in the fewest artifacts.

Conclusions:

• Cellular artifacts in smears are diverse and influenced by the surrounding medium, particularly plasma proteins.
• The choice of preparation technique and medium composition is critical for preserving cell morphology.
• Cytocentrifugation in a cell-protecting medium offers a superior method for minimizing artifacts in cytological smears.