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Quantification of tissue eosinophils and lymphocytes in histologic sections
1Department of Pathology, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68131, USA. jwbishop@creighton.pathology.edu
Summary
A new image analysis (IA) technique accurately quantifies eosinophils and lymphocytes in tissue sections. This method offers a reproducible and sensitive approach for analyzing inflammatory cells, enhancing diagnostic capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Pathology
- Immunohistochemistry
- Digital Pathology
Background:
- Eosinophil-predominant gallbladder disease requires accurate inflammatory cell quantification.
- Traditional methods for counting inflammatory cells in tissue sections can be subjective and time-consuming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate an image analysis (IA) technique for quantifying eosinophils and lymphocytes in formalin-fixed tissue sections.
- To assess the accuracy and reproducibility of the IA technique compared to standard peripheral blood analysis.
Main Methods:
- Developed an IA protocol using a commercial image analyzer and specific staining for eosinophils (hematoxylin and eosin) and lymphocytes (monoclonal CD45 antibody).
- Validated the system using cell block sections from peripheral blood with known cell counts.
- Compared IA-derived counts with absolute counts from a peripheral blood analyzer.
Main Results:
- The IA technique demonstrated excellent correlation for eosinophil counts (r2 = 0.987) and good correlation for lymphocyte counts (r2 = 0.820) compared to peripheral blood analysis.
- The developed IA system proved to be sensitive and reproducible for quantifying inflammatory cells.
Conclusions:
- The IA-based technique provides a validated, sensitive, and reproducible method for quantifying inflammatory cells in tissue sections.
- This rapid and easily learned technique complements subjective morphological assessment by adding quantitative data.