MORPHOMETRY AND DENSITOMETRY OF ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGE CYTOPLASMIC PARTICLES IN CHERNOBYL, UKRAINE, LIQUIDATORS

OBJECTIVE: To characterize intracytoplasmic particles found in alveola r macrophages (AMs) sampled by bronchial alveolar lavage (BAL) perform ed on Chernobyl, Ukraine, liquidators suffering from chronic obstructi ve lung disease. STUDY DESIGN: Eight BALs were assessed. BAL products containing AMs were cytocentrifuged, and appropriate fixation and epox y embedding were performed for ultrastructural study. Morphometry of c ells (AMs) and of cytoplasmic particles was then obtained by processin g, using dedicated software, digitized ultrastructural images. RESULTS : AM cytoplasm contained crowded phagolysozomes, varying in size, shap e and density and enclosing dense particles rich in radionuclides, wit h particular morphometric features: surface, 387 +/- 543 pixels (mean +/- SD); number, 77 +/- 34; phagozome/cell surface ratio, 23.7%; shape factor, 1.32 +/- 0.23; and mean optical density, 171 +/- 31. CONCLUSI ON: Processing of digitized ultrastructural images of AMs provides acc urate morphometric data that can be used further for clinical purposes , in particular to evaluate BAL performed either for diagnosis or trea tment.