Meyerholz David K, Beck Amanda P
Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa.
Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
ILAR J. 2018 Dec 1;59(1):13-17. doi: 10.1093/ilar/ily025.
Failure to reproduce results from some scientific studies has raised awareness of the critical need for reproducibility in translational studies. Macroscopic and microscopic examination is a common approach to determine changes in tissues, but text descriptions and visual images have limitations for group comparisons. Semiquantitative scoring is a way of transforming qualitative tissue data into numerical data that allow more robust group comparisons. Semiquantitative scoring has broad uses in preclinical and clinical studies for evaluation of tissue lesions. Reproducibility can be improved by constraining bias through appropriate experimental design, randomization of tissues, effective use of multidisciplinary collaborations, and valid masking procedures. Scoring can be applied to tissue lesions (eg, size, distribution, characteristics) and also to tissues through evaluation of staining distribution and intensity. Semiquantitative scores should be validated to demonstrate relevance to biological data and to demonstrate observer reproducibility. Statistical analysis should make use of appropriate tests to give robust confidence in the results and interpretations. Following key principles of semiquantitative scoring will not only enhance descriptive tissue evaluation but also improve quality, reproducibility, and rigor of tissue studies.
一些科学研究结果无法复现，这提高了人们对转化研究中可重复性的迫切需求的认识。宏观和微观检查是确定组织变化的常用方法，但文本描述和视觉图像在组间比较方面存在局限性。半定量评分是一种将定性组织数据转化为数值数据的方法，可进行更可靠的组间比较。半定量评分在临床前和临床研究中广泛用于评估组织病变。通过适当的实验设计、组织随机化、有效利用多学科合作以及有效的屏蔽程序来限制偏差，可以提高可重复性。评分可应用于组织病变（如大小、分布、特征），也可通过评估染色分布和强度应用于组织。半定量评分应进行验证，以证明与生物学数据的相关性，并证明观察者的可重复性。统计分析应使用适当的检验，以对结果和解释有可靠的信心。遵循半定量评分的关键原则不仅会增强对组织的描述性评估，还会提高组织研究的质量、可重复性和严谨性。
