Quantitative analysis of nuclear chromatin distribution in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma, LSIL, HSIL and ASCUS.

细胞核染色质类型是细胞学诊断的重要依据之一。应用计算机图像分析技术对宫颈鳞状上皮病变细胞核染色质分布进行定量分析，以达到客观分型的目的。图像分析程序被开发为图像处理软件ImageJ的插件宏程序。径向分布（RD）值表示从细胞核中心到边缘的染色强度的梯度，其被定义为染色质分布的指数。 LSIL（Low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion）、HSIL（High grade squamous intraepithelial lesion）和鳞状细胞癌的RD值在3种类型之间差异有统计学意义，其中HSIL的RD值最大。 在宫颈鳞状上皮病变中，RD值可作为判断恶性程度的指标。

The chromatin pattern of nuclei is one of the most important criteria for cytological diagnosis. The quantitative assessment of nuclear chromatin distribution using image analysis by computer was applied for objective classification for cervical squamous epithelial lesions. An image analysis program was developed as a plug-in macro program of an image processing software, ImageJ. The radial distribution (RD) value that represents the gradient of the staining intensity from the center to the edge of a nucleus was defined as an index of the chromatin distribution. The RD values of LSIL (Low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion), HSIL (High grade squamous intraepithelial lesion) and squamous cell carcinoma were significantly difference among these three categories, and the RD value of HSIL was maximum. In the cervical squamous epithelial lesion, the RD value could be useful as an index for malignancy.