[Histonet] Using antibodies beyond their expiration dates.

[Poteete, Jacquie A.]

When I called a couple of months ago to get a clarification on this
question, I was told that the question stands as printed in the April 28,
2005 Checklist, and that it was no longer open for interpretation otherwise,
regardless of previous studies.  I'm not going to push my luck with it, as a
friend who works in a different state was given a deficiency because of an
antibody which had expired less than one month previously. I understand that
the inspectors are being just as strict for ANY reagent these days.

Jacquie Poteete MT(ASCP)QIHC
Lead Technologist, IHC Laboratory
Saint Francis Hospital, Tulsa, OK 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rene J Buesa [mailto:rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com] 
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 2:34 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; chesarato <@t> htmail.com;
sbryant <@t> labpath.com
Subject: [Histonet] Using antibodies beyond their expiration dates.


Cesar, Susan et alli:
Digging amongst my papers I found the 2 referneces I wrote Cesar this
morning:
1- Is a paper by Balaton et alli, published in Applied Immunohistochemistry
& Molecular Morphology 7(3):221-225, 1999. Using standard protocols they
tested 65 antibodies (Ab) that had expired 6 to 134 months previously
(average of 33). Concluded that all Ab performed satisfactorily beyond the
recommended expiration dates.
2- (And this is more important because it was published as part of a CAP
Laboratory Improvement Program) by Tubbs et alli in Arch Pathol Lab Med, Vol
122: 1051-1052, 1998 tested a limited number of Abs, but in the test
intervened221 different laboratories with the following conclusions:"The
data suggest review of the Health Care Financing 
Administration's ruling on extending the useful reagent shelf life beyond
manufacturers recommendations". Both are good news for those who want (or
need) for economical reasons to extend the time frame of your Abs beyond the
manufacturers' date. At least no CAP inspector I think will go against their
own conclusions. So now you know! Rene J.



		
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