[Histonet] PGP 9.5

[Lee & Peggy Wenk]

Anyone have experience with PGP 9.5 (Protein Gene Product)? It demonstrates
nerve fibers. One of our pathologists wants to use it on skin biopsies for
diagnosis of neuropathies. 

We would prefer peroxidase for paraffin sections, rather than FITC or FS.
Just wondering if people are having better luck with monoclonals or
polyclonals, and if there is a difference in animal species for the primary
(we'll be doing this on human skin). 

Also - all the papers we find mention thick sections and using a confocal
microscope. Anyone doing PGP on 5 um sections and/or with a regular light
microscope?

One of my students is doing this as her research project. She's done a lot
of reading on it, and most papers don't discuss the actual procedure or the
type of antibody, etc. They are on the research aspect, or the diagnostic
aspect, not on what histotechs need to do the procedures. Those articles
that do mention techniques have very different methods (of course), and are
missing important information needed by histotechs.

We would appreciate a couple of little hints of what works for "real life
histotechs", to get us started in the right direction for use in a routine
clinical immunohistochemistry lab.

Feel free to contact me directly. Vendors included. I'll summarize and relay
the info back to Histonet.

Thanks in advance.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073