Software Staining of Histological Tissue Sections Using the Luminescence Spectra of CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots

Abstract

The software processing of fluorescent images of histological sections of the cervix with different levels of pathology (with squamous cell carcinoma and healthy epithelium) stained with CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QD) using Stark spectroscopy is presented. The shift of the maximum of the luminescence band of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots is determined by the influence of the electric field of the cell. Pathological changes in malignant tissues of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix are accompanied by a short-wave spectral shift of the luminescence band of CdSe/ZnS QD by a value equal to 16 nm. Software processing of fluorescent images allows us to attribute this shift to the manifestation of the linear Stark effect, and comparison with the results obtained for aqueous solutions of CdSe/ZnS QDs show that in this case the medium in tissues with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix is acidic. Healthy epithelial tissues when stained with CdSe/ZnS CT give an optical response corresponding to neutral pH. The practical significance of the obtained results lies both in the differentiation of tissues with malignant changes and the visualization of the border between healthy epithelial tissue and squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.