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Evaluation of human conjunctival epithelium by a combination of brush cytology and flow cytometry: An approach to the quantitative technique
Author(s) -
Fujihara Tsutomu,
Takeuchi Tsutomu,
Saito Keiko,
Kitajima Yasuo,
Kobayashi Tadao K.,
Tsubota Kazuo
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
diagnostic cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1097-0339
pISSN - 8755-1039
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0339(199712)17:6<456::aid-dc15>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - flow cytometry , brush , cytology , conjunctiva , pathology , epithelium , cytometry , medicine , keratin , immunology , electrical engineering , engineering
Cytology using the brush technique is readily available and is a rapid means of establishing a presumptive diagnosis of ocular surface changes. However, those techniques have some limitations when obtaining cells from certain localized areas particularly if using the Cytobrush‐S®. We have described here a new type of brush (Accellon‐M®), which can collect the local cells using its spherical tip, and evaluated them by comparing with Cytobrush‐S®. Furthermore, we differentiated epithelial cells from non‐epithelial cells that were collected by brushing, and by a combination of brush cytology and flow cytometry using an anti‐keratin antibody, AE‐3, which reacts with all basic epithelial keratins. Accellon‐M® could collect the epithelial cells from conjunctiva as effectively as with the Cytobrush‐S®, and there were no statistical differences between both groups. AE‐3, which is reported as the marker of epithelial cells, were detected quantitatively by a combination of brush cytology and flow cytometry techniques. The result of the present study emphasizes that both the Cytobrush‐S® and the Accellon‐M® are valuable for conjunctival brush cytology. An additional positive feature of the Accellon‐M® may be improved cell collection from the conjunctival epithelium especially when the target cells are in a limited area. The combination of the brush cytology and the flow cytometry technique appears to be a useful adjunct as an additional diagnostic or research tool for use in the detection of various antigens in the conjunctival epithelium. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1997;17:456–460. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.