METHOD FOR ACCURATE COUNTING OF PROBE SPOTS IN CELL NUCLEI

摘要

A method for the accurate counting of DNA probe spots in cell nuclei wherein anomalies caused by a two dimensional measurement of a three dimensional cell sample are eliminated from evaluation. DNA probe spots in cell nuclei which are counted by means of Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) include cells wherein probe spots of different contoured cells are overlaid or are detected as being adjacent one another with resultant erroneous diagnostic results such as with cancer detection or prognosis. A gating fluorescent value is determined by clusters of fluorescence in regions of non-anomalous values of fluorescence determined by plotting peak fluorescent value against area. The loci of the non-anomalous peak values cluster in specifically definable regions whereby fluorescent values for cells which deviate from the gating fluorescent value, are discounted in the preparation of histograms or other diagnostic measurements.