[Histonet] retrieval puzzle, forgot this line on last message

[Browning Deb]

Here is a puzzle.  In order to streamline the IHC workload, I have had the
techs organize the slides in vertical racks that can be used for dewaxing,
heat retrieval, and quenching (meth/px), instead of the old way of dewaxing
in one set of racks, switching to other racks for retrieval, and then into
coplin jars for quenching.  Sounds great.  We ended up with an unusual
vertical staining pattern with central staining of the tissues, but both
edges that corresponded with the edges of the slide racks had no staining.
The slides were heated at 60 deg. overnight.  Slides that did not require
heat retrieval were not affected, therefore it was not a dewaxing problem.
All slides lay flat for application of antibodies and detection system.  I
know of another site that vertically handles their slides, and they do not
get this artefact, the only difference between them and us is quenching
before retrieval vs after.  Any suggestions?  We went back to the old way,
and the artefact is gone, nothing changed except the position (vertical vs
horizontal) of the slides.  Looking forward to scientific explanations,
inquiring minds want to know.

Debra Browning, ART
Technical Specialist, Immunohistochemistry
Anatomic Pathology
Hamilton Health Sciences
phone: (905) 527-4322  ext 46131
e-mail:  browning <@t> hhsc.ca
fax: (905) 524-2681


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