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The development of squamous cell metaplasia in human bronchial epithelium by light microscopic morphometry
Author(s) -
Bertram J. F.,
Rogers A. W.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1981.tb01280.x
Subject(s) - squamous metaplasia , pathology , epithelium , metaplasia , hyperplasia , mucus , medicine , biology , ecology
SUMMARY Bronchial biopsies from ten subjects, including five smokers, have been examined using light microscopic morphometry. The biopsies were free from identifiable disease. Using manual point counting and a Quantimet 720 image analysing computer, a number of parameters were measured. Computer‐based cluster analysis of seven of these parameters associated the subjects into three groups: visual inspection of the sections achieved the same separation. Four subjects (non‐smokers) had normal epithelia: four subjects (one non‐smoker, three smokers) showed mucous cell hyperplasia: two subjects (smokers) had squamous cell metaplasia. Three parameters in conjunction contained sufficient information to characterize accurately the histological appearance of the epithelia: the epithelial thickness, the volume density of intracellular mucus and the number of nuclear profiles per unit area of sectioned epithelium. Reduction of these three parameters to a linear plot closely approximated a similar reduction of the original seven parameters. These three parameters can be measured rapidly, either manually or by the Quantimet. The linear representation of these parameters provides a reproducible and objective basis for comparing specimens of bronchial epithelium.