Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41971975›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in neuroanatomy2026

A semi-automated pipeline integrating ImageJ/Fiji and StarDist for the reproducible quantification of cellular and optical density metrics in immunofluorescence images of brain tissue.

Sandra Isabel Marques, Helena Carmo, Félix Carvalho, João Pedro Silva, Susana Isabel Sá

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in neuroanatomy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Sandra Isabel MarquesUCIBIO-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Laboratory of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Helena CarmoUCIBIO-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Laboratory of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Félix CarvalhoUCIBIO-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Laboratory of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
João Pedro SilvaUCIBIO-Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Laboratory of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Susana Isabel SáRISE-HEALTH, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Quantitative immunofluorescence is widely used to assess molecular expression and cellular distribution across biological tissues, yet the analysis of large image datasets remains time-consuming and prone to user-dependent variability. To address these limitations, we herein developed a semi-automated workflow that integrates ImageJ/Fiji for image processing, StarDist for nuclear segmentation, and spreadsheet- or Python-based routines for data curation. The pipeline standardizes critical analytical steps, including scale calibration, region-of-interest (ROI) definition, channel selection, and z-stack handling, while preserving essential metadata through a structured file-naming system. Optical density and cell-number metrics are exported automatically in a consistent format, enabling efficient consolidation into a unified dataset. Subsequent curation can be performed either manually in a spreadsheet software or fully automatically through custom Python scripts, allowing extraction of sample identifiers, regions, and markers, as well as calculation of normalized intensity values. Comparison with existing protocols proved that this workflow adheres to widely accepted quantification principles while markedly improving reproducibility, consistency, and analytical throughput. This method offers a straightforward, transparent, and scalable solution for fluorescence-based quantification suitable for laboratories with varying levels of computational expertise.

Indexed as

automated image analysiscell quantificationImageJ (FIJI)immunofluorescence quantificationspreadsheet softwareStarDist

Identifiers

PMID41971975
PMCPMC13066318

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.