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A computer-assisted microscope analysis of Feulgen-stained nuclei was carried out on a series of 50 nasal polyps in order to try to identify specific biological subgroups. The present series of 50 nasal polyps includes single polyps both associated (n=9) and unassociated (n=9) with allergy and diffuse polyposis both associated (n=7) and unassociated (n=9) with allergy, cystic fibrosis (n=9) and ASA (aspirin-sinusitis-asthma) related polyposis (n=7). The computer-assisted microscope analysis provides 36 quantitative variables which include 1 variable describing proliferative activity, 9 describing the nuclear desoxyribonucleic acid distribution (DNA ploidy level) and 26 describing nucleus morphology, i.e. its size and chromatin pattern. The results show that the methodology proposed here enabled four major groups of nasal polyps to be identified, i.e. diffuse polyposis associated with allergy, cystic fibrosis-related polyposis, single polyps both associated and unassociated either with allergy and a fourth group including diffuse polyposis not associated with allergy and ASA-related polyposis. These four groups of nasal polyps differed markedly in their morphonuclear characteristics, but not in the proliferative activity- and DNA ploidy- related variables.

The development of angiogenesis within a tumor brings on a sequence of extremely complex molecular events. We have developed a methodology which enables a wide set of biological parameters to be quantitatively determined in the field of anti-angiogenesis pharmacology. This methodology which includes a video cell tracking device, is unique because it offers the possibility of evaluating the specific influence of a given compound with potential anti-angiogenic properties on cell cycle kinetics, cell death, global cell line growth, and cell motility. We chose TNP-470, a synthetic analogue of fumagilin, to test our methodology on HUVEC cell lines taken from various human umbilical cord veins. The experiments carried out with TNP-470 did not confirm all the data reported in the literature. Our results show that i) TNP-470 could be considered as a cytotoxic agent; ii) this compound had an apparently marginal cytostatic effect; and iii) it did not increase the apoptosis level. Our methodology also revealed that the HUVEC cell lines are very heterogeneous in terms of different biological parameters. This highlights the problem of the reproductibility of the result.

Several groups of lipomatous tumors are not yet clearly characterized on the biological level. In order to attempt to classify the dedifferentiated liposarcomas with respect to other types of malignant liposarcomas, 80 adipose tumors were submitted to the combination of two computer-assisted methodologies. These two methodologies consisted of i) the determination of 25 variables, and ii) the analysis of the diagnostic information contributed by these 25 variables by means of two complementary techniques, i.e. principal components and discriminant analyses. The 25 variables were computed by means of image cytometry on Feulgen-stained nuclei and histological slides, quantitatively describing distinct biological characteristics relating to morphonuclear (chromatin pattern) features (14 variables), nuclear DNA content distribution (9 variables), and tissue architecture pattern (2 variables). The 80 adipose tumors included 21 typical lipomas, 7 atypical lipomas (defined as extremity adipose tumors with a histopathological pattern of well-differentiated liposarcomas), 16 retroperitoneal and 5 non-retroperitoneal abdominal well-differentiated liposarcomas, 9 dedifferentiated liposarcomas, 8 myxoid (intermediate-grade tumor) and 14 pleomorphic (high-grade tumor) liposarcomas. The data strongly suggest that the dedifferentiated liposarcomas exhibit biological characteristics which are distinct from those of low- and high-grade liposarcomas, but similar to those of intermediate ones. The results also show that typical and atypical lipomas are two distinct biological entities. In contrast, the atypical lipomas and the well-differentiated retroperitoneal and non-retroperitoneal liposarcomas exhibited a high number of similar biological characteristics. Computer-assisted methods contribute valuable information to characterize lipomatous tumor biology.

Morphometric, i.e. nuclear area (NA), and densitometric, i.e. nuclear DNA content, features were characterized in a series of 508 invasive ductal breast carcinomas. The specimens analyzed were from three distinct sources, i.e. fresh material (252 fine-needle aspirates as opposed to 147 imprint smears) immediately fixed in EFA fixative as opposed to archive material, i.e. 109 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumours that were subsequently deparaffinized. Morphonuclear parameters were computed on Feulgen-stained nuclei by means of a cell image processor. Our results show that the development of nuclear size and DNA content in function of anatomopathological grading is approximately the same for specimens of breast cancer provided by FNAs, imprint smears and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. However, in these latter instances it seems that part of the morphometric information is slightly modified in relation to the information obtained from fresh material directly fixed in EFA for cytophotometric analysis. The greatest discriminatory power of the morphometric parameters was obtained in relation to the FNAs. Lastly, in the present study we come out in favor of the idea that henceforth it would be preferable to express results concerning nuclear DNA content as DNA histogram types rather than in terms of DNA indices.