EP0311368A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Methods and apparatus for the quantitation of nuclear proteins
Assignee: Cell Analysis Systems Inc
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Filing: 1988-10-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-10-05
Abstract
Abstract A method of measuring the quantity of a specific nuclear protein in a cell/population, particularly in order to predict the prognosis of endocrine manipulative management in treating a carcinoma, comprises staining a sample of the cell population with at least one image enhancement factor which has an optical density which varies with the quantity of nuclear protein contained within said sample; measuring the optical density of said sample; and calibrating the measured optical density of said sample to the quantity of nuclear protein contained within said sample. An apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 James William Bacus
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 23:30
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N15/00; G01N15/10; G01N15/14; G01N15/1429; G01N15/1433; G06; G06V; G06V20/00; G06V20/60; G06V20/69; G01N33/00; G01N33/48; G01N33/50; G01N33/53; G01N33/575; G01N33/57515; G01N33/57575; G01N33/68; G01N33/74; G01N33/743; G01N1/00; G01N1/28; G01N1/30; G01N21/00; G01N21/62; G01N21/63; G01N21/64; G01N21/645; G01N21/6456; G01N21/6458; G01N2201/00; G01N2201/12; G01N2201/127; G01N2474/00; G01N2474/20; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S435/00; Y10S435/808; Y10S436/00; Y10S436/805; Y10S436/807; Y10S436/811; Y10S436/813; Y10S436/815; Y10S436/817
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
A method of measuring the quantity of a specific nuclear protein in a cell population, characterised by the steps of staining a sample of the cell population with at least one image enhancement factor which has an optical density which varies with the quantity of nuclear protein contained within said sample; measuring the optical density of said sample; and calibrating the measured optical density of said sample to the quantity of nuclear protein contained within said sample.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
77 words
A method of measuring the quantity of a specific nuclear protein in a cell population, characterised by the steps of staining a sample of the cell population with at least one image enhancement factor which has an optical density which varies with the quantity of nuclear protein contained within said sample; measuring the optical density of said sample; and calibrating the measured optical density of said sample to the quantity of nuclear protein contained within said sample.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the step of staining comprises staining said sample with peroxidase-antiperoxidase complex including a monoclonal antibody to estrophilin thereby producing different quantities of a precipitate of diaminobenzidine having varying optical densities in dependance on the amount of estrogen receptor in the cell nuclei of said sample.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that the step of staining comprises counterstaining said sample with a second image enhancement factor which enhances all nuclear material of said sample.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that said cell population is taken from a human breast carcinoma to predict the prognosis of endocrine manipulative management in treating the carcinoma, said staining being affected with an immunohistochemical technique using a monoclonal antibody against the specific protein, and including said image enhancement factor.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
114 words
A method of providing a quantitative immunocytochemical score which is predictive of the prognosis of endocrine manipulative management in a human breast carcinoma, characterised by the steps of providing a specimen of a cell population of the carcinoma; staining said cell population with an immunocytochemical technique which specifically identifies estrogen receptor; measuring the percentage of the cell population stained; measuring the intensity of the stain for the cell population; and forming a quantitative immunocytochemical score from the formula where QIC = said quantitative immunocytochemical score, N = a scaling factor, % positive stained = said measured percentage of the cell population stained; and Staining Intensity = said measured stain intensity of the cell population
Claim 7
Independent Claim
114 words
A method of providing a quantitative immunocytochemical score which is predictive of the prognosis of endocrine manipulative management in a human breast carcinoma, characterised by the steps of providing a specimen of a cell population of the carcinoma; staining said cell population with an immunocytochemical technique which specifically identifies estrogen receptor; measuring the percentage of the cell population stained; measuring the intensity of the stain for the cell population; and forming a quantitative immunocytochemical score from the formula where QIC = said quantitative immunocytochemical score, N = a scaling factor, % positive stained = said measured percentage of the cell population stained; and Staining Intensity = said measured stain intensity of the cell population
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
138 words
An apparatus for carrying out the method of Claim 1, and particularly for the quantitation of estrogen or progesterone receptors in a cell population which has been stained with an optical enhancement factor specific to estrogen or progesterone receptors respectively such that the optical density of the stain relates to the location and estrogen or progesterone receptor content of the population, characterised by means for digitizing an optical image of said cell population into a digital image having a plurality of pixels with grey scale values of intensity; means for identifying the nuclear area of said cell population; means for identifying the portion of said nuclear area which is stained by said optical enhancement factor; and means for measuring the optical density of said identified portion of said nuclear area which is stained by said optical enhancement factor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that said optical enhancement factor is an immunoperoxidase stain including a monoclonal antibody against estrophilin.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
99 words
A method of predicting the prognosis of endocrine manipulative management in a human breast carcinoma, characterised by the steps of forming a quantitative immunocytochemical score, as a combination of an intensity of stain and staining distribution in a cell population from the carcinoma which has been stained by an immunocytochemical technique which specifically identifies estrophilin; setting a threshold distinguishing an estrogen receptor rich tumor from an estrogen receptor poor tumor; comparing said score with said threshold; and predicting based on said comparison that the endocrine manipulative management will be therapeutic if said score is in excess of said threshold.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
99 words
A method of predicting the prognosis of endocrine manipulative management in a human breast carcinoma, characterised by the steps of forming a quantitative immunocytochemical score, as a combination of an intensity of stain and staining distribution in a cell population from the carcinoma which has been stained by an immunocytochemical technique which specifically identifies estrophilin; setting a threshold distinguishing an estrogen receptor rich tumor from an estrogen receptor poor tumor; comparing said score with said threshold; and predicting based on said comparison that the endocrine manipulative management will be therapeutic if said score is in excess of said threshold.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
146 words
An image analysis apparatus for analyzing specimen cell objects on a slide which have been optically enhanced with a stain, characterised by processor means adapted to execute a control program which includes analysis functions for said cell objects: image monitor means controlled by said processor means for displaying a digital image of said specimen cell objects; instruction monitor means controlled by said processor means for displaying images of a plurality of instruction screens which provide for the selection of operations of said apparatus and input means controlled by said processor for communicating operator commands to said control program for selecting said analysis functions; means for selectively filtering said image to enhance at least one feature of said cell objects relative to other features of said cell objects; and means, included in the control program means and selectable by said input means, for analyzing said filtered image.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
146 words
An image analysis apparatus for analyzing specimen cell objects on a slide which have been optically enhanced with a stain, characterised by processor means adapted to execute a control program which includes analysis functions for said cell objects: image monitor means controlled by said processor means for displaying a digital image of said specimen cell objects; instruction monitor means controlled by said processor means for displaying images of a plurality of instruction screens which provide for the selection of operations of said apparatus and input means controlled by said processor for communicating operator commands to said control program for selecting said analysis functions; means for selectively filtering said image to enhance at least one feature of said cell objects relative to other features of said cell objects; and means, included in the control program means and selectable by said input means, for analyzing said filtered image.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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