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The Raman-based optical diagnosis of normal cervix, inflammative cervix (cervicitis), and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia was investigated on samples of 63 patients. The main alterations were found in the 857 cm−1 (CCH deformation aromatic); 925 cm−1 (C–C stretching); ∼1247  cm−1 (CN stretch, NH bending of Amide III); 1370 cm−1 (CH2 bending); and 1525 cm−1 (C=C/C=N stretching) vibrational bands in accordance with previously reported in the literature comparing normal and malignant cervical tissue. The statistical analysis (principal components analysis, clustering, and logistic regression models) applied to the spectral data indicated that the full discrimination among normal and neoplastic tissues of cervix by Raman optical biopsy is seriously affected by the presence of inflammatory infiltrates, which increases the false-positive rate. This fact is specially relevant once cervicitis is a very common state (noncancerous) of the cervix of sexually active woman. The results suggest that, for the correct Raman-based diagnosis of normal cervix from cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, it is necessary to use an auxiliary way to discriminate the contribution from the inflammatory infiltrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fourier transform (FT)-Raman spectroscopy technique is used to assess the biochemical alterations that occur in the degenerative process of the rotator cuff supraspinatus tendon. The main alterations observed occur in the glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, cysteine, cistine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, collagen I and III, nucleic acid, lipids, glycosaminoglycans, and metalloproteinases bands. An increasing intensity for these bands is found in degenerated tendons, a finding well correlated with hyaline state and cellular activity. Statistical analysis (principal components analysis and clustering) shows a clear separation of the spectra into nonhyalinized and hyalinized clusters, which enables the construction of a binary diagnosis model based on logistic regression. Best diagnosis provided a sensitivity of 66.0% and a specificity of 74.7% with 79.6% concordant pairs. The discriminating power of the diagnostic test is assessed by computing the area under the receiving-operator characteristic curve (AUC), which indicates good accuracy (AUC=0.81). In principle, these results indicate that Raman spectroscopy can be used as an auxiliary aid to improve shoulder tendon surgery quality by guiding anchoring onto more healthy (nonhyaline) pieces of tendons. This should contribute to a decrease in the current high rerupture rate (13 to 68%) for this procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]