Human and Canine Cervical Cells

Previously, a number of studies were reported involving canine cervical cells [20] in which it was shown that mature and immature squamous cervical cells could 

Figu re 5.5 Urine-borne cells that could not be diagnosed via classical cytology due to incomplete cytoplasm (A) or poor staining (B,C), but that could be diagnosed easily via spectral cytology. 

It is interesting to note that, whilst mature canine cervical cells could not be differentiated [20] from mature human buccal cells (which have a similar size and morphology), human and canine cervical cells may be very easily differentiated, as canine cells never accumulate glycogen whereas human cells are generally glycogen-rich. 

The spectral patterns of human cervical cells may also depend on their degree of maturity. It is difficult to collect a sufficient number of immature cervical cells from normal women, as the majority of cells (see above) are mature superficial cells. However, in post-menopausal women who are not receiving hormone replacement therapy the reduced estrogen levels prevent complete maturation of the squamous cells, and consequently significantly more immature cells are found in the cervical exfoliates. This in turn has allowed studies to be conducted on the influence of hormone levels on the spectral properties of human cervical cells. 

Results from Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy of Human Cells 

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