Comparative study on the effect of some histological techniques on the quantitative morphometric analysis

Quantitative morphometric studies are commonly used nowadays in histological and pathological labs and researches. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possible effect of the histological techniques on the morphometric results and determination of correction coefficients of morphometric parameters in dependence on the histological procedure used. The organs and cells subjected to study were; human RBCs [lack of nuclei], albino rats liver cells [active cells] and albino rat uterus [for gross study and its muscles and fibers content]. Three techniques were selected; fresh cells [blood smear and liver cell print], frozen technique and paraffin sections fixed in neutral buffered formol [common histological technique]. Quantitative morphometric analysis parameters selected were diameter, perimeter, area and area percent. The obtained results were statistically analyzed by using student paired t-Test. The study showed statistically significant changes in quantitative morphometric results under the effect of histological techniques used. Frozen technique increased the morphometric results, while paraffin technique decreased them when compared with those of fresh data. Also the morphometric data of gross area and perimeter of organs affected by their fibrous elements. The study concluded that all quantitative morphometric results must be corrected by a coefficient factor which depends on the organ and technique used before analysis and evaluation of data

Evaluation of placental blood flow in pregnancy induced hypertension and pre-eclamptic patients [quantitative microscopic study]

A prospective controlled study to measure quantitatively placental and fetal blood volume as an area percent in normal pregnancy and in pregnancy complicated by induced hypertension [PIH], preeclampsia [PE] and correlate the findings with fetal outcome. It was conducted on 50 patients attended the labour ward of Bab El Shaaraya Maternity Hospital. They were divided into 2 groups. The control group consisted of 10 singletone full term normal pregnant patients. The study group consisted of 40 singletone, full term pregnant patients and their pregnancy is complicated either by PIH or PE. Twelve of them were pre-eclamptic, 8 patients had severe pre-eclampsia [SPE] and 20 patients had PIH. All patients were in active process of labour, fetal and maternal monitoring was performed. Mode of delivery, fetal weight and Apgar score were reported. Placental weight, diameter, thickness were recorded. Placental paraffin section were made, stained with Hx. and Eosin stain and examined for morphological changes. Then quantitative analysis of maternal and fetal blood as an area percent was done using Leica Quantimet 500+ Image Analysis System. Twenty different microscopic fields of lmm[2] surface area in each section were examined. Results of PIH showed a high significant increase [p < 0.005], while SPE showed highly significant reduction [p<0.001] in maternal blood area percent compared to the control placenta. There was no significant difference between PE maternal blood area percent and the control patients. There was a significant reduction in fetal blood area percent in PE and SPE patients compared to the control group, while no significant difference was noted between PIH patients and the control group. Placental weight of SPE patients was significantly lower than that of the control patients. The PIH and PE patients had non-significant difference in placental weights compared to the control. Newborns of PE and SPE patients showed a significant reduction of weight compared to control group newborns, but those of PIH patients were not significantly different in weight from the control group newborns