Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis: Updates in Evaluation, Management, and Ongoing Dilemmas.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is a heterogenous disease entity characterized by an aberrant immune response to inhalational antigens. Disease modification hinges on early antigen remediation with a goal to attenuate immune dysregulation. Disease severity and progression are mediated by an interface between degree, type and chronicity of exposure, genetic predisposition, and biochemical properties of the inducing agent.

Thickness profiling of formaldehyde-fixed cells by transmission-through-dye microscopy.

Conventional light microscopy techniques are poorly suited for imaging the vertical cell dimension. This can be accomplished using transmission-through-dye (TTD) imaging, in which cell thickness is directly converted into image intensity in the presence of extracellular dye with strong absorption. We have previously described applications of TTD to living cells using the dye Acid Blue 9 (AB9) to generate contrast.