Skip to main content
Log in

Semi-automatic quantitation of dense markers in cytochemistry

  • Published:
Histochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The quantitation of electron dense labelling is very tedious when it is done “by hand”. Accordingly we developed software allowing, at electron microscopic level, a semi-automatic counting of dense markers in biological specimens. It includes the digitization of images and extraction of dense particles from the grey level of the background. The definition of the areas of interest was carried out by the observer but all quantitative calculations were done automatically. This method was applied to different biological materials (phospholipid and lysozyme labelling in secretory granules of human submucosal bronchial gland cells). The results obtained by this semi-automatic procedure were in good agreement with those obtained by manual counting of colloïdal gold labelling (r=0.97).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bendayan M, Roth J, Perrelet A, Orci L (1980) Quantitative immunocytochemical localization of pancreatic secretory proteins in subcellular compartments of the rat acinar cell. J Histochem Cytochem 28:149–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Bendayan M, Nanci A, Herbener G, Gregoire S, Duhr M (1986) A review of the study of protein secretion applying the protein gold immunocytochemical approach. Am J Anat 175:379–400

    Google Scholar 

  • Cau P, Negre-Aminou P, Massacrier A (1989) Immunocytochimie et quantification. In: Calas A, Gounon P, Hernandez-Verdun D, Nicolas G, Reynes M, Tougard C (eds) Immunocytochimie. Méthodes pratiques. Société Française de Microscopie Electronique, Paris, pp 149–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Coster M, Chermant JL (1985) Precis d'analyse d'images. CNRS, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • De Harven E, Soligo D, Christensen H (1987) Should we be counting immunogold marker particles on cell surfaces with the SEM? J Microsc 146:183–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Desjardins M, Bendayan M (1989) Heterogeneous distribution of type IV collagen, entactin, heparan sulfate proteoglycan, and laminin among renal basement membranes as demonstrated by quantitative immunocytochemistry. J Histochem Cytochem 37:885–897

    Google Scholar 

  • Girod S, Fuchey C, Galabert C, Lebonvallet S, Bonnet N, Ploton D, Puchelle E (1991) Identification of phospholipids in secretory granules of human submucosal gland respiratory cells. J Histochem Cytochem 32:193–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths G, Hoppeler H (1986) Quantitation in immunocytochemistry: correlation of immunogold labeling to absolute number of membrane antigens. J Histochem Cytochem 34:1389–1398

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinnrasky J, Chevillard M, Puchelle E (1990) Immunocytochemical demonstration of quantitative differences in the distribution of lysozyme in human airway secretory granule phenotypes. Biol Cell 68:239–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Howell K, Reuter-Carlson U, Devaney E, Luzio JP, Fuller S (1987) One antigen, one gold? A quantitative analysis of immunogold labeling of plasma membrane 5'-nucleotidase in frozen thin sections. Eur J Cell Biol 44:318–327

    Google Scholar 

  • Ichikawa M, Sasaki K, Ichikawa A (1989) Immunocytochemical localization of amylase in gerbil salivary gland acinar cells processed by rapid freezing and freeze-substitution fixation. J Histochem Cytochem 37:185–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Kempf J, Kempf C (1982) Autoradiographic grain counting by fully automated image analysis. Microsc Acta 86:215–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer F (1979) Iterative image transformations for an automatic screening of cervical smears. J Histochem Cytochem 27:128

    Google Scholar 

  • Nanci A, Slavkin H, Smith C (1987) Immunocytochemical and radioautographic evidence for secretion and intracellular degradation of enamel proteins by amenosblasts during the maturation stage of amelogenesis is rat incisors. Anat Rec 217:107–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratt W (1978) Digital image processing. Wiley, New York Chichester Brisbane

    Google Scholar 

  • Serra J (1982) Image analysis and mathematical morphology. Academic Press, London Orlando San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Sklarew R (1982) Simultaneous Feulgen densitometry and autoradiographic grain counting with the Quantimet 720D image-analysis system II. Automatic grain counting. J Histochem Cytochem 30:49–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Weibel ER (1979) Stereological methods, vol I. Practical methods for biological morphometry. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lebonvallet, S., Mennesson, T., Bonnet, N. et al. Semi-automatic quantitation of dense markers in cytochemistry. Histochemistry 96, 245–250 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271542

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271542

Keywords

Navigation