[Histonet] Pre-cut controls

[Morken, Tim - Labvision]

Frank, Below is an abstract from an recent interesting paper on preservation
of microarrays.

Tim Morken
Lab Vision - Neomarkers
www.labvision.com

Free webhosting for US State Histotechnology Societies:
http://www.labvisioncorp.com/demowebsite/index.cfm




Lab Invest. 2004 Aug;84(8):1071-8.  

  
Long-term preservation of antigenicity on tissue microarrays.

DiVito KA, Charette LA, Rimm DL, Camp RL.

Department of Pathology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.

Tissue microarrays have facilitated the evaluation of large cohort studies;
however, there is little data on the best method for preserving sections
once they are cut. We assessed three methods of storing precut breast cancer
microarray slides: paraffin coating and storage in a nitrogen desiccator,
either alone or in combination. We tested the durability of three antigens,
cytokeratin, estrogen receptor, and Ki-67 on microarrays stored under these
conditions for 3 months at room temperature. Staining was assessed with both
manual scoring using traditional brown stain (0-3+) as well as automated
scoring using fluorescently stained sections. Staining intensity was
compared to that obtained from freshly cut slides. Slides stored under
ambient conditions (room temperature and air) for 3 months exhibited marked
degradation of all target antigens, in some cases resulting in slides that
were virtually unreadable. We found that combined paraffin coating and
nitrogen storage resulted in the best preservation of antigenicity, with
retention of 72-99% of the antigenicity of a freshly cut slide, depending
upon the marker and detection system used. The use of either paraffin
coating or nitrogen storage alone protected slides to a lesser degree.

PMID: 15195116 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 






-----Original Message-----
From: Fran Lemons [mailto:flemons <@t> bhset.org] 
Sent: Friday, September 03, 2004 7:15 AM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Pre-cut controls


Does anyone know why IHC control slides cannot be cut ahead of time?  I've
done it at other facilities, but I have been told it is not permissible
here, without any explanation.  Any ideas? Also, has anyone ever heard of
refrigerating pre-cut IHC control slides?  One person suggested to me that
they stopped cutting them ahead of time because they were getting
condensation on them & the stains wouldn't work.  Then she informed me that
they were stored in the fridge.  Seems to me the condensation would have
formed upon removing the slides from a cold environment to a room temp. Your
thoughts/theories are appreciated. Fran Walker Histology Technical
Specialist ETBH Knoxville


_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet