Nuclear texture measurements in normal colorectal glands.

Objective: To examine differences in epithelial cell nuclear texture along the length of normal, well-oriented colorectal glands.
Study Design: Histologically normal mucosa was obtained from four patients who had a family history of cancer and no hyperproliferation as assessed by bromodeoxyuridine immunohistochemistry. Serial sections were stained using the Feulgen technique and viewed to identify glands that were sectioned along their entire length. Two glands were sampled from each patient. Each gland was divided into three compartments based on epithelial cell counts along the length of the gland. Within each compartment, 10 nuclei were randomly selected and their nuclear texture features measured using computerized image analysis.
Results: Analysis of variance demonstrated that significant differences exist in the nuclear texture of cells in the different compartments of the gland. Discriminant analysis selected three variables that were important and independent in the quantitative discrimination of the gland compartments. These features were related to the elliptical shape, optical density distribution and cooccurrence structure of the chromatin texture within the epithelial nuclei.
Conclusion: It is clear that these differences are associated with the spatial variation in proliferation and differentiation status found within colorectal mucosal glands. Nuclear measurements from colorectal epithelium with near-normal architecture should therefore be stratified in relation to position within the gland. Nuclear texture and size measurements within defined compartments may provide a sensitive means of detecting early malignant transformation.