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Volumetric changes of the enteric nervous system under physiological and pathological conditions measured using x-ray phase-contrast tomography

Peruzzi, Niccolò LU orcid ; Eckermann, Marina ; Frohn, Jasper ; Salditt, Tim ; Ohlsson, Bodil LU and Bech, Martin LU orcid (2024) In JGH Open 8(9).
Abstract

Background and Aim: Full-thickness biopsies of the intestinal wall may be used to study and assess damage to the neurons of the enteric nervous system (ENS), that is, enteric neuropathy. The ENS is difficult to examine due to its localization deep in the intestinal wall and its organization with several connections in diverging directions. Histological sections used in clinical practice only visualize the sample in a two-dimensional way. X-ray phase-contrast micro-computed tomography (PC-μCT) has shown potential to assess the cross-sectional thickness and volume of the ENS in three dimensions (3D). The aim of this study was to explore the potential of PC-μCT to evaluate its use to determine the size of the ENS. Methods: Full-thickness... (More)

Background and Aim: Full-thickness biopsies of the intestinal wall may be used to study and assess damage to the neurons of the enteric nervous system (ENS), that is, enteric neuropathy. The ENS is difficult to examine due to its localization deep in the intestinal wall and its organization with several connections in diverging directions. Histological sections used in clinical practice only visualize the sample in a two-dimensional way. X-ray phase-contrast micro-computed tomography (PC-μCT) has shown potential to assess the cross-sectional thickness and volume of the ENS in three dimensions (3D). The aim of this study was to explore the potential of PC-μCT to evaluate its use to determine the size of the ENS. Methods: Full-thickness biopsies of ileum obtained during surgery from five controls and six patients clinically diagnosed with enteric neuropathy and dysmotility were included. Punch biopsies of 1 mm in diameter and 1 cm in length, from an area containing myenteric plexus, were extracted from paraffin blocks, and scanned with synchrotron-based PC-μCT without any staining. Results: The microscopic volumetric structure of the neural tissue (consisting of both ganglia and fascicles) could be determined in all samples. The ratio of neural tissue volume/total tissue volume was higher in controls than in patients with enteric neuropathy (P = 0.013). The patient with the longest disease duration had the lowest ratio. Conclusion: The assessment of neural tissue can be performed in an objective, standardized way, to ensure reproducibility and comparison under physiological and pathological conditions. Further evaluation is needed to examine the role of this method in the diagnosis of enteric neuropathy.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
dysmotility, enteric nervous system, histopathology, three-dimensional, volumetric measurements, x-ray phase-contrast tomography
in
JGH Open
volume
8
issue
9
article number
e70027
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:85204310395
  • pmid:39295850
ISSN
2397-9070
DOI
10.1002/jgh3.70027
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
84e01478-7559-4092-abe0-bfe56884ee47
date added to LUP
2024-11-22 14:22:18
date last changed
2025-06-07 06:56:17
@article{84e01478-7559-4092-abe0-bfe56884ee47,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background and Aim: Full-thickness biopsies of the intestinal wall may be used to study and assess damage to the neurons of the enteric nervous system (ENS), that is, enteric neuropathy. The ENS is difficult to examine due to its localization deep in the intestinal wall and its organization with several connections in diverging directions. Histological sections used in clinical practice only visualize the sample in a two-dimensional way. X-ray phase-contrast micro-computed tomography (PC-μCT) has shown potential to assess the cross-sectional thickness and volume of the ENS in three dimensions (3D). The aim of this study was to explore the potential of PC-μCT to evaluate its use to determine the size of the ENS. Methods: Full-thickness biopsies of ileum obtained during surgery from five controls and six patients clinically diagnosed with enteric neuropathy and dysmotility were included. Punch biopsies of 1 mm in diameter and 1 cm in length, from an area containing myenteric plexus, were extracted from paraffin blocks, and scanned with synchrotron-based PC-μCT without any staining. Results: The microscopic volumetric structure of the neural tissue (consisting of both ganglia and fascicles) could be determined in all samples. The ratio of neural tissue volume/total tissue volume was higher in controls than in patients with enteric neuropathy (P = 0.013). The patient with the longest disease duration had the lowest ratio. Conclusion: The assessment of neural tissue can be performed in an objective, standardized way, to ensure reproducibility and comparison under physiological and pathological conditions. Further evaluation is needed to examine the role of this method in the diagnosis of enteric neuropathy.</p>}},
  author       = {{Peruzzi, Niccolò and Eckermann, Marina and Frohn, Jasper and Salditt, Tim and Ohlsson, Bodil and Bech, Martin}},
  issn         = {{2397-9070}},
  keywords     = {{dysmotility; enteric nervous system; histopathology; three-dimensional; volumetric measurements; x-ray phase-contrast tomography}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{JGH Open}},
  title        = {{Volumetric changes of the enteric nervous system under physiological and pathological conditions measured using x-ray phase-contrast tomography}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jgh3.70027}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/jgh3.70027}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}