Differentiation of exudates with new methods of fluorescence microscopy

• Grant number: 13/18468-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: January 01, 2014
• End date: July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Konradin Metze
• Grantee: Ana Paula Racanelli
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Still nowadays there are difficulties in diagnostic pathology, due to subjectivity and lack of agreement between observers. New methods can help to optimize the diagnositic procedure and avoid possible mistakes. The FLIM (Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy) method is a new fluorescence technique in which the contrast is based on lifetime of individual fluorophores. The fluorescence lifetime can be measured in either autofluorescent endogenous molecules, as with the use of artificial fluorophores. The aim of this study is to analyze eosinophilic exudates and transudates samples, which are often difficult to differentiate them, especially when it is an unexpirienced observer Our study will include cases with proteinosis, exsudates with Pneumocystis jiroveci infection, edema, as well as hyaline membranes too. Unstained dewaxed histological paraffin sections will be examined with a TCSPC (time-correlated single-photon counting) equipment, which is a highly sensitive tool used to obtain the Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM). This work aims to analyze the fluorescence lifetime of eosinophilic findings in histological slides, contributing to obtaining a new diagnostic method for these pathologies. Since the above mentioned exudates and transudates have different biochemical characteristics, it is supposed that fluorescence lifetime imaging might be able to differentiate between them, thus contributing in a simple and cheap manner to differential diagnosis in surgical pathology. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

RACANELLI, Ana Paula. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) applied in lung exsudates. 2015. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Ciências Médicas Campinas, SP.