Identifying and quantifying apoptosis: navigating technical pitfalls.

Apoptosis or programmed cell death is often altered in malignancies and is frequently determined by the terminal transferase-mediated nick end labeling technique (TUNEL). However, commercially available protocols can produce high background and false-positive staining, which renders the distinction between apoptosis and necrosis difficult. In an attempt to develop a rapid and reproducible method for detecting and quantifying apoptosis, we coupled optimization of the Apoptag Plus Peroxidase In Situ Apoptosis Detection kit with quantitative histomorphometric computer imaging software using the Bacus Laboratories Incorporated Slide Scanner (BLISS).

Comparison of quantitative histomorphometry and DNA ploidy in tissue sections of prostate carcinoma.

Objective: To examine the ability of quantitative histomorphometry to predict DNA ploidy of prostate carcinoma in biopsy tissue sections assigned after quantitation by nuclear digital image analysis.

Study Design: Thirty-five diploid, 35 tetraploid and 35 aneuploid prostatic carcinomas in biopsies, assessed by the CAS 200 image analyzer (Bacus Laboratories, Lombard, Illinois, U.S.