[Histonet] Using antibodies beyond their expiration dates.

[Joe Nocito]

Rene,
Sorry to disagree with you. This January, I had my CAP inspection and the
inspector told us that we couldn't use reagents beyond the expiration date.
I had a written procedure to validate each antibody, plus a drawer filled
with stained slides that had the test date on them. It wasn't accepted and
resulted in a deficiency.

Joe Nocito, BS, HT(ASCP) QIHC
Histology Manager
Pathology Reference Lab
San Antonio, TX

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Rene J Buesa
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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