SOLID-PHASE CYTOMETRY ALLOWS RAPID IN-SITU QUANTIFICATION OF HUMAN PAPILLOMA-VIRUS INFECTION IN BIOPSY MATERIAL

Solid phase cytometry would be an asset for many histological and cyto logical studies. Current microscope-based cytometers and image analysi s systems are too slow to analyze specimens several millimeters wide, We have recently shown that a rapid Nide area laser scanning device th at operates on solid supports has a linear response, We assess it here for solid phase cytometry. Each cell detected by the cytometer can be automatically positioned for visual observation in the field of an ep ifluorescence microscope (conventional or confocal) in which the stage is driven by the instrument's computer, We mere able to detect and ma p human papillomavirus-infected cells labeled by fluorescent in situ h ybridization in cervical condyloma biopsies. We could quantify the flu orescence emitted by these cells and show differences of up to 35-fold in fluorescence intensity between individual cells. These differences in intensity night reflect differences in viral copy number, The pote ntial of the system to provide fast, reliable and reproducible analyse s of solid tissue samples is discussed. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.