TEXTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AA AND SS BLOOD SPECIMENS AS DETECTED BYIMAGE-ANALYSIS

High-resolution image analysis was employed in the analysis of round ( discoid) erythrocytes from hematologically normal (AA) individuals, AA individuals with nonspecific anemia, individuals with sickle cell tra it (AS), individuals with SC disease (SC), and individuals with sickle cell anemia (SS). The shape feature Form Factor (4 pi Area/Perimeter( 2)) was used to select round cells and to exclude sickle and other abn ormal cells. Textural features extracted from round cells of SS and SC patients were found to differ from those derived from cells of normal andanemic AA individuals. Two textural features, Standard Deviation o f Run Length Matrix Counts and Rotation Moment of the Cooccurrence Mat rix, discriminated between patient mean values from AA samples and tho se from SS samples. The ability of textural features to separate round cells into classes based on genotype suggests that high resolution im age analysis may be an effective tool in the study and monitoring of s ickle cell disease. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.