Multivariate chromosome analysis and complete karyotyping using dual labeling and fluorescence digital imaging microscopy.

The combination of multiple dye-DNA interactions, a fluorescence digital imaging system with a scientific CCD camera, and multivariate image analysis allows the rapid karyotyping of fluorescent human metaphase chromosome spreads. Chromosomes are stained with the bisbenzimidazole dye Hoechst 33342 and chromomycin A3, a dye pair used frequently in bivariate flow analysis and sorting of metaphase chromosomes in suspension. The use of ratio functions involving the total and peak intensities of the two dyes provides increased resolution of the karyotype in the microscope, and it can be anticipated that the same approach could lead to improved performance with flow systems as well. High pass filtering with a Laplace operator yields characteristic banded images of the individual chromosomes, even with total fields that are less than 200 pixels on a side.