Textural differences between AA and SS blood specimens as detected by image analysis.

High-resolution image analysis was employed in the analysis of round (discoid) erythrocytes from hematologically normal (AA) individuals, AA individuals with nonspecific anemia, individuals with sickle cell trait (AS), individuals with SC disease (SC), and individuals with sickle cell anemia (SS). The shape feature Form Factor (4 pi Area/Perimeter2) was used to select round cells and to exclude sickle and other abnormal cells. Textural features extracted from round cells of SS and SC patients were found to differ from those derived from cells of normal andanemic AA individuals. Two textural features, Standard Deviation of Run Length Matrix Counts and Rotation Moment of the Cooccurrence Matrix, discriminated between patients mean values from AA samples and those from SS samples. The ability of textural features to separate round cells into classes based on genotype suggests that high resolution image analysis may be an effective tool in the study and monitoring of sickle cell disease.