RAPID NODULE EVALUATION COMPUTER-AIDED IMAGE-ANALYSIS PROCEDURE FOR BONE NODULE QUANTIFICATION

Using bone cell cultures, the effects of drugs on cell activities such as proliferation, differentiation, matrix formation, and mineralizati on can be explored, To quantify these parameters accurately and quickl y, a kinetic reproducible computed image analysis procedure of culture dishes is proposed which could be conjointly used with biochemical an alysis of the medium, In the present article, different mathematical p rocedures coupled either with or without histochemical staining are in vestigated and analyzed, Using serial cross sections and microradiogra phies of bone nodules, we demonstrated that the gray-level parameter i s well correlated with bone mass and/or the mineralization status of t he nodules, The procedure selected is a multistep procedure called rap id nodule evaluation (RNE), which uses a binary reconstruction program with different thresholds, To challenge this RNE procedure with the c lassical Von Kossa staining and quantification procedure, we cultured the cells in the presence of 10 nmol/L dexamethasone and compared the results using the two procedures, The RNE procedure appeared to be acc urate and reproducible, and also has the advantage of speed and dynami c analysis over the classical Von Kossa quantification procedure. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.