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Metacarpal morphometry in monozygotic dizygotic elderly twins.

The relative importance of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of age related bone loss has been investigated in a study involving 17 monozygotic (MZ) and 8 dizygotic (DZ) pairs of twins aged 64 to 75 years. Radiographic morphometry was performed at the midpoints of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th metacarpals of both hands and the mean total and cortical widths were evaluated. The heritability, h2, was calculated as the difference between the intrapair variances in same sexed DZ and MZ pairs divided by the intrapair variance in DZ pairs. The mean intrapair variance of both total and cortical width was found to be four to five times higher in DZ than in MZ pairs. The differences are highly significant with an h2 value between 0.7 and 0.8, indicating a predominant genetic influence. It is stressed that this result applies only to the population from which the twin sample was drawn.

Aged

Optic disc morphometry in chronic primary open-angle glaucoma. II. Correlation of the intrapapillary morphometric data to visual field indices.

The intrapapillary morphometric data of 290 optic nerve heads of 158 patients with chronic primary open-angle glaucoma and of 253 unselected normal subjects were correlated with the visual field indices of Octopus program 32,34-Delta. Only one eye per patient was considered. Significant correlations (P less than 0.001) were revealed for the neuroretinal rim (NRR) area as a whole and in four defined disc sectors, the ratio of lower temporal to upper temporal rim area, the rim width, the optic cup area and diameters, the horizontal and vertical cup/disc (c/d) ratios, and the quotient of horizontal to vertical c/d ratio. Correlation coefficients ranged between 0.30 and 0.77. They were highest for the rim area of the inferior temporal disc sector, followed by the superior temporal, nasal, and temporal sectors. There were no correlations for the optic disc size and form. The topographic morphometry of the intrapapillary optic disc structures was unremarkable in four glaucomatous eyes with small discs.

Adolescent

Optic disk morphometry in high myopia.

The optic nerve head in highly myopic eyes is distinctly different from normal optic disks. We performed magnification-corrected morphometry of photographs of 51 optic nerve heads in highly myopic eyes (myopic refraction of more than -8.00 diopters). Mean refraction was -15.49 +/- 5.76 diopters (range, -8.00 to 28.00 diopters), mean age 63.0 +/- 12.1 years (range, 27-87 years). The disks were significantly (P less than 0.000001; Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test) larger and more ovally configurated than 457 unselected normal optic nerve heads with a myopic refraction of less than -8.00 diopters. Refraction, size of the disk, and area of the parapapillary region with chorioretinal atrophy were significantly (P less than 0.00001) correlated with each other. The parapapillary vessel diameter was independent from the disk size. Highly myopic disks can be regarded as secondary acquired macrodisks, the size of which is correlated with refraction and possibly age. They should be differentiated from secondary, acquired macrodisks in congenital glaucoma and from primary macrodisks. As in normal eyes, the parapapillary vessel caliber can be used to estimate the optic disk size in relative and approximately absolute units.

Aged

Diagnostic morphometry of isolated lymph node cells from patients with mycosis fungoides and Sézary's syndrome.

Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary's syndrome are cutaneous T cell lymphomas, characterized by the presence of lymphoid cells with deeply indented nuclei (CMC) in the infiltrate. In order to find objective criteria for the diagnosis of early MF involvement of lymph nodes from patients with MF, we performed morphometric analysis of lymphoid cells in lymph node cell suspensions measuring the degree of nuclear indentation as expressed by the nuclear contour index (NCI). Statistical discriminant analysis was used to analyze the differences in the NCI histograms between lymph nodes without and with MF involvement and to select the most discriminating parameters for diagnostic classification. Using a training set of 6 lymph nodes from patients with unrelated diseases and 8 lymph nodes from patients involved by cutaneous T cell lymphomas, the mean and standard deviation of the NCI histograms were selected as the most discriminating parameters. All lymph nodes from the training set were assigned to the correct diagnostic classification group with a probability over 90%. The predictive value of the morphometric classification was tested on a set of 12 enlarged lymph nodes from patients with MF. The histological diagnosis was used as a reference. In 10 cases the morphometric classification was identical to the histological classification, whereas in two cases (1 classified as positive, 1 as negative) a disagreement was found. It is concluded that morphometry of lymphoid cells can contribute substantially to the diagnosis of early MF involvement in lymph nodes.

Adult

Morphometry of nucleoli as an indicator for grade of malignancy of bladder tumors.

To establish a new indicator for the classification of human urinary bladder cancers, the nucleoli of normal epithelial and neoplastic cells were analyzed, using morphometric techniques. By electron microscopy, the nucleolar profiles of cells from grade 2 and 3 transitional cell carcinomas were often small and irregular. Morphometry showed that the nucleolar volumes, nucleolar/nuclear volume ratios, volume densities of various nucleolar components, and the numbers of fibrillar centers (FCs) altered significantly with an increase in tumor grade. In particular, an increase in FC numbers in the nuclei of higher grade tumors was associated with a decrease in individual volume. The number of FCs in intact urothelial cells obtained from patients with bladder tumors is significantly larger than in the normal urothelial cells. This may be related to the multicentric origin of bladder cancers. These results suggest that morphometric analysis of nucleoli is useful in evaluating the degree of differentiation and invasive capacity of human bladder tumor cells. In particular, the number and individual volume of FCs may be an indicator of tumor malignancy.

Adult

Sex, handedness, and the morphometry of cerebral asymmetries on magnetic resonance imaging.

Cerebral morphometry of linear measurements and hemispheric, frontal, temporal and parietal areas on MRI of 104 normal adults was analyzed for sex and handedness and right-left differences. The right hemisphere was significantly larger across all groups, but the left frontal width and area was larger in left handers. MANOVA showed separate effects of hand and sex for linear measures; right-handers had larger right anterior frontal, and left parietal and occipital widths. Ratios of L - R/L + R eliminated sex differences related to overall brain size, however, a significant sex-by-hand interaction was shown by the parietal area ratios, indicating larger left side in right-handed males and left-handed females. A 3-dimensional 'torque' was postulated, where the upper and rostral portions of the hemispheres were larger on the right and the lower and caudal parts equal, or slightly larger on the left. The relationship of anatomical asymmetries, sex and handedness is multi-dimensional, and may explain some of the variability of normal cognitive functions and deficits after brain damage.

Adolescent

Ultrastructural comparative study on endometrium of Chinese women using intrauterine devices of stainless steel ring, copper T220, and releasing levonorgestrel: morphometry of microvessels.

An electron microscopic morphometric study was performed for three kinds of IUDs, the stainless steel ring (SS), the copper T220 (TCu) and the WHO levonorgestrel IUD (LNG), for comparison of their effects on microvessels of the endometrium of women wearing the devices. The morphometry of plasmolemmal vesicles (PV) of the endothelial cell as well as the contracted and degenerated endothelial cell were undertaken. The results showed that all three IUDs led to significant changes in blood vessels, i.e., a higher percentage of contracted and degenerated cells than in the control group (p less than 0.01), and an increase in PV after insertion of the devices (p less than 0.01). The TCu caused more contracted endothelial cells than the SS (p less than 0.01) and the LNG (p less than 0.05). The levonorgestrel-releasing IUD resulted in a higher increase of PV than the SS and the TCu. For the differences between bleeding and non-bleeding groups, only the TCu showed a higher percentage of contracted cells (p less than 0.05).

Adult

Type-specific changes in fiber morphometry following denervation of canine extraocular muscle.

To investigate the changes that occur in extraocular muscle morphometry following denervation, 12 beagles were subjected to intracranial section of the left oculomotor nerve. The inferior and medial rectus muscles were removed from both orbits of four dogs killed at each 4-week postoperative interval. Fiber diameters and fiber-type ratios of denervated muscles were compared with those from paired muscles in the normal orbit. We found significant, persistent atrophy of the singly innervated fibers in both the global and orbital layers of denervated extraocular muscle. The multiinnervated fibers were predominantly spared from denervation atrophy. We also found a significant increase in the proportion of multiinnervated fibers in the orbital layer only. These results suggest a relative neurotrophic independence of multiinnervated fibers in extraocular muscle.

Animals

Computerized image recognition for morphometry of nerve attribute of shape of sampled transverse sections of myelinated fibers which best estimates their average diameter.

A computerized image recognition method was used to measure various attributes of shape of cross-sections of myelinated nerve fibers. Measurements were made at intervals over 1/2 internode of each fiber on 20 fibers from each of 4 sural nerves from rats. Diameters were computed in 6 different ways from the computer measurements and compared for bias, precision, and accuracy between sections and to the diameter of an idealized cylinder reconstructed for each fiber from multiple actual cross sections. The diameter computed from cross-sectional areas of transversely sectioned myelinated fibers, converted into a circle, showed the highest precision, greatest accuracy and least bias. Fibers were classified by shape and the frequency was determined in defined regions (I1 = paranodal, I3= nuclear and I2=region between I1 and I3) of the 1/2 internode. A crenated shape is highly characteristic of the I1 region. The boomerang shape was found most frequently in I3 whereas the circular shape was found most frequently in I2. Epileptical and boomerang shapes of myelinated fibers within fascicles which have been orientated carefully to obtain transverse sections, are not due to obliquity of section. Therefore, using the minor axis to determine the diameter of such profiles, as we had done previously in our laboratory, is in error. We conclude from these studies, that in carefully orientated transverse sections of nerve trucks, the diameter calculated from measurement of area converted to a circular shape is the best among the various estimates of myelinated fiber diameter and is the most suitable one for use in computerized image recognition systems for nerve morphometry. It seems reasonable to extrapolate this general conclusion to myelinated fibers of man.

Animals

Ultrastructural morphometry of membrane-bound intracytoplasmic collagen fibrils in tendon fibroblasts exposed to He:Ne laser beam.

Collagen fibrils are not found in fibroblast cytoplasm except in certain pathological conditions or in the presence of drugs and other agents that accelerate collagen turnover. Because low energy laser photostimulation is both a non-pathogenic and non-chemical accelerator of collagen synthesis, its effects were studied on four groups of calcaneal tendons from 18 rabbits (1) to test the hypothesis that vacuolar fibrils are not produced exclusively by diseases and chemical agents, and (2) to compare the morphometry of matrical and vacuolar fibrils. The right calcaneal tendons of nine rabbits were surgically tenotomized and repaired; six of these were transcutaneously irradiated with He:Ne laser everyday. The right calcaneal tendon of six of the remaining nine rabbits were similarly irradiated with laser, but without prior tenotomy and repair. 21 days later, all tendons were fixed in situ and processed for electron microscopy. Fibril-bearing vacuoles were found only in fibroblasts of tenotomized laser-irradiated tendons. Similar vacuoles were not seen in non-tenotomized laser-irradiated tendons nor in non-irradiated tendons whether tenotomized or not. Mann-Whitney U tests revealed no statistically significant differences in the cross-sectional areas or diameters of matrical and vacuolar fibrils. These findings suggest (a) that matrical and vacuolar fibrils have a common origin, and (b) that vacuolar fibrils can be induced by a non-pathologic, non-chemical accelerator of collagen synthesis.

Animals

Pulmonary toxicity associated with fly ash from fluidized bed coal combustion. II. Cellular morphometry of distal lung following a single intratracheal instillation.

Fly ash from an experimental fluidized bed coal combustor (FBC) was intratracheally instilled (once) into male Syrian golden hamsters at concentrations of 0 (control), 3, 10, 30, and 100 mg/animal. Thirty days postadministration, lungs were fixed by intratracheal perfusion, and tissues were processed for electron microscopic evaluation. Standard point count morphometry was used to analyze distal lung structures. Significant differences were found in volume density of noncellular interstitial space, with this compartment being increased in a dose-dependent manner. Volume density, numerical density, and average cellular volume of distal lung cells revealed no significant differences between treated and control animals. In addition, diffusion capacity and air-blood barrier thickness were not significantly altered in treated animals. The absence of cellular change at 30 days postexposure suggests a residual effect on noncellular interstitium, which may implicate fibrosis.

Animals

Interactive morphometry of normal and hyperplastic peritoneal mesothelial cells and dysplastic and malignant ovarian cells.

This study used computerized interactive morphometry to evaluate the differential characteristics of mesothelial normal cells, mesothelial hyperplastic cells, and carcinomatous cells, and also compared hyperplastic mesothelial cells with ovarian dysplastic cells from a previous study. The procedure included extraction of multiple descriptors of the nuclear profile: perimeter length, area, longest chord, circularity factors, standard deviations of these characteristics, and a 10-bin size distribution table of the nuclear area. The final classification is achieved by stepwise discriminant analysis of these variables. The analysis classified all cases correctly with high posterior probabilities.

Cystadenocarcinoma

Quantitative morphometry measurements of transitional cell bladder cancer nuclei as indicator of tumor aggression.

Superficial transitional cell carcinomas of the urinary bladder in 30 patients were studied by quantitative morphometry of the initial and subsequent tumor occurrences. Nuclear histograms were constructed and demonstrated narrow base and single modal peak in 9 of 10 patients not exhibiting tumor recurrence or invasion. In contrast, broad-based multimodal nuclear histograms were present in 15 of 20 patients in whom tumor invasion of carcinoma in situ subsequently developed. Nuclear histograms may provide an accurate means of determining invasive/recurrence potential of transitional cell carcinoma.

Carcinoma, Transitional Cell

Nuclear morphometry in prognosis of renal adenocarcinoma.

Nuclear morphometry was carried out on 95 parenchymatous adenocarcinomas of the kidney treated by radical nephrectomy and hilar lymphadenectomy and followed up for at least five years. The study assessed nuclear area, nuclear perimeter, major diameter, nucleolar area, nuclear shape factor, and nuclear size. There was a significant statistical correlation between survival and the morphometric parameters and between the parameters themselves except for nuclear shape factor. The multiple regression proved that nuclear area is the factor which shows the greatest statistical significance for prognosis. Taking a mean nuclear area of 35 microns 2 allowed two prognostic groups to be established regardless of stage, with those below the threshold having a good prognosis and those above it having a poor prognosis: 96.7 percent of patients with a good prognosis survived after five years (60 months) compared with 17.2 percent of those with a poor prognosis.

Actuarial Analysis

Methodological problems in placental morphometry: apologia for the use of stereology based on sound sampling practice.

Several problem areas in morphometry of human and animal placentae are reviewed. Attention is given to methods of tissue processing (handling, mode of fixation, embedding, shrinkage) and sampling (of organs, tissue blocks, sections, micrographs). Principal sources of bias and sampling variability are identified and the crucial importance of randomized sampling is emphasized. Methods for obtaining structural quantities from sections are compared. The case is made for estimating absolute values (volumes, surface areas, lengths, numbers, thicknesses) using stereological principles rather than relying on planar data (profile areas, perimeter lengths, numbers, apparent thicknesses). Absolute values may be obtained simply and efficiently without resort to expensive measuring devices. Finally, morphological descriptors suitable for correlating with functional data or for comparing normal and diseased organs are surveyed.

Delivery, Obstetric

A useful programme in BASIC for axonal morphometry with introduction of new cytoskeletal parameters.

Interest in the structure of axons and quantification of their components has been growing over the last years. However, the existing literature contains few reports of available computer programmes to facilitate such studies. This paper presents a fully comprehensive BASIC programme for the morphometric analysis of electron micrographs of cross-sectional nerve fibres. From drawings of fibre and axonal contours and dots of the microtubules and neurofilaments, the programme calculates the following parameters: area, diameter and form factor of the fibres and axons, number and density of microtubules and neurofilaments, proportion between microtubules and neurofilaments (R-proportion), myelin thickness and the diameter of the axon relative to its sheath (g-ratio). The programme also introduces three new parameters to analyse the degree of uniformity of microtubule and neurofilament distribution: distances between microtubules and between neurofilaments, equilateral index and cytoskeletal intermingling index. The programme is written in Microsoft BASIC Interpreter for Apple Macintosh (Microsoft Corporation) but can be used on other computers. Although the programme has been tested on adult rat optic nerve fibres, it can be used for different projects concerning axonal morphometry.

Animals

Intrinsic and extrinsic factors collaborate to generate driving forces for neural tube formation in the chick: a study using morphometry and computerized three-dimensional reconstruction.

The formation of the neural tube, the rudiment of the entire central nervous system, is one of the earliest morphogenetic movements. The origin of the driving forces for this process remains uncertain, but recent studies suggest the involvement of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In the present study, we have used morphometry, analysis of stereopair photographs of whole embryos, and computerized three-dimensional reconstruction to investigate the factors which constitute the bulk of the driving forces for neural tube formation in the developing midbrain of Hamburger and Hamilton stages 5-9 chick embryos. Results support the notion that neural tube formation is driven by a coordinated interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic forces. Initial bending of the neural plate along the midline of the embryo and uplifting of the neural folds is accomplished primarily through the combined action of intrinsic forces (resulting from apical constriction of neuroepithelial cells) and extrinsic forces (mostly a passive consequence of head-fold formation). However, once in the uplifted position, curling over of neural folds and closure of the neural tube is driven largely by apical constriction-mediated (intrinsic) forces that are generated by cells in the midlateral walls of the forming neural tube.

Animals

Vertebral morphometry in diagnosis of spinal fractures.

Vertebral morphometry was performed on lateral thoracic and lumbar radiographs of 153 women with a preliminary diagnosis of spinal osteoporosis. Measurements included anterior and posterior vertebral height, width, area, wedge angle, percent reduction of anterior to posterior height (PRH) and percent difference in anterior height between adjoining vertebrae (PDAH). A vertebral fracture was identified if any of the measurements which control for interindividual variation in vertebral size (wedge angle, PRH, PDAH) were below the normal range. Among individuals with mild osteoporosis (0-2 fractures) PDAH identified 86% of the fractures and 95% of the individuals with fractures. Other measurements identified less than 71% of the fractures and less than 80% of the individuals with fractures. Although the results reflect a relative rather than a true sensitivity it appears that PDAH is the better diagnostic measurement for fractures in the earlier stages of spinal osteoporosis.

Aged