Principles of a fluorescence phenomenon and its application in medicine

Histopathological examination is one of the most important methodsin diagnostics of connective tissue diseases. We encounterserious difficulties in its interpretation, especially in the early stageof changes. In this group of diseases, early and correct diagnosis isessential. Unfortunately, only with the progression of the diseasenew symptoms appear which enable definitive diagnosis. In consequenceof diagnostic difficulties proper treatment is often implementedtoo late. Therefore, there is a need for other diagnosticsmethods. One of them may be a study of fluorescence spectra collectedfrom tissue fragments which are used for histopathologicalexamination. The phenomenon of fluorescence has beendescribed accurately by physicists in the first half of the twentiethcentury. In recent years, you can see a number of applications offluorescence spectroscopy in medicine, such as the DNA sequencing,the study of Alzheimer’s disease or intra-cellular processes. Inrheumatology, with exception of immunofluorescence, tests usingthis method are rarely carried out. For this reason we decided topresent an outline of the basics of fluorescence and its applicationin medicine, with particular emphasis on the applicability in thediagnostics of systemic connective tissue diseases. It turns outthat the differences can be observed in the spectra of fluorescence,as is the case of cancer can be used to facilitate diagnosis of rheumaticdiseases. Perhaps it will be another diagnostic method,which will allow faster diagnosis of the diseases and the introductionof proper treatment in their early stages.