Figure 2

Shape and color histograms of the structure on the surface of silver NHC chips with clinical serum samples by using a 3D laser scanning confocal microscope. These are typical images. Whitish nodules were observed on the chip surface in all serum samples obtained from patients with benign diseases (gallstone, a, d), gastric cancer (Stage IIIa, g, j) and colorectal cancer (Stage IV, m, p). In serum samples diluted 10-fold, there was no clear difference among the chip surfaces after the addition of samples obtained from patients with benign diseases (a), gastric cancer (g) and colorectal cancer (m). In the sample obtained from a patient with a benign disease, the nodules on the chip surface with the addition of the serum sample diluted 100-fold were fewer and smaller than those with the addition of the sample diluted 10-fold (d). In samples obtained from patients with malignancies, nodules were observed in relatively large areas; there were no remarkable differences in the size and number of nodules between the samples diluted 10-fold (g, m) and 100-fold (j, p). There was no notable difference between the nodules in samples obtained from patients with gastric cancer and those with colorectal cancer. The number of nodules more than 10 μm in diameter in the samples diluted 10- and 100-fold was 51 and 19, 93 and 90 and 78 and 56 in the serum samples obtained from the patients with benign diseases, gastric cancer and colorectal cancer. In magnified view (b, e, h, k, n, q), nodules with the addition of samples diluted 100-fold had clear cracks (red arrows in e, q). Histograms of the crystal of clinical serum samples on the chip were recorded by using a 3D laser scanning confocal microscope.