Abstract

Quantitative laser scanning confocal autofluorescence microscopy in premalignant colonic tissues was correlated with cellular proliferation and inflammatory indices. Increasing concentration of low autofluorescence lymphocytes in lamina propria was found to contribute to negative correlation of blue/green autofluorescence to inflammatory index. Modified green autofluorescence might be due to increasing concentration of eosiphils and macrophages. Negative correlation of blue/green autofluorescence to proliferation index was likely due to increasing cell metabolic activity and decreasing accumulated bounded mitochondrial NAD(P)H and flavin. Tissue cutting artifact and aberrant mitochondria might cause weak correlation.

© 1998 Optical Society of America