The development of squamous cell metaplasia in human bronchial epithelium by light microscopic morphometry

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Abstract
Bronchial biopsies from 10 subjects, including 5 smokers, were examined using light microscopic morphometry. The biopsies were free from identifiable disease. Using manual point counting and a Quantimet 720 image analyzing computer, a number of parameters were measured. Computer-based cluster analysis of 7 of these parameters associated the subjects into 3 groups; visal inspection of the sections achieved the same separation. Four subjects (non-smokers) had normal epithelia; 4 subjects (1 non-smoker, 3 smokers) showed mucous cell hyperplasia; 2 subjects (smokers) had squamous cell metaplasia. Three parameters in conjunction contained sufficient information to characterize accurately the histological appearance of the epithelia: epithelial thickness, volume density of intracellular mucus and number of nuclear profiles per unit area of sectioned epithelium. Reduction of these 3 parameters to a linear plot closely approximated a similar reduction of the original 7 parameters. These 3 parameters can be measured rapidly, either manually or by the Quantimet. The linear representation of these parameters provides a reproducible and objective basis for comparing specimens of bronchial epithelium.