Molecular information from fluorescence spectroscopic investigations of breast tissues and tissue phantoms

摘要

Polarized fluorescence spectroscopy in the visible range can be used to discriminate different types of human breast tissue, namely, malignant, benign and normal. The bandwidth of the 580nm band of the polarized spectra shows excellent discrimination among the different tissue types. This difference in the bandwidth of the 580nm band provides bio-molecular information of the breast tissues. The spatially dependent fluorescence spectra are recorded from different radial distances of the tissue sample. These spectral profiles show differences in broadening as one goes away from the excitation point. This broadening also provides information on the presence of porphyrin in the breast tissues. Various concentrations of two fluorophores with varying concentrations of scatterers have been studied based on the assumption that porphyrin plays a major role in progress of tumor. Correlations have been made with polarized fluorescence spectra as well as spatial profiles of fluorescence spectra of the different tissues with the measurements of tissue phantoms. Such correlations hint at porphyrin accumulation and scattering effects playing major roles in spectral differences among normal, benign and malignant tumor breast tissues.