[Histonet] diastase digestion

[Bryan Llewellyn]

People who are sick, with tuberculosis for instance, who spit on slides can 
pass the disease around.  That's the major problem with it.

A replacement is hog alpha amylase from Sigma.  A small amount (cover a dime 
thinly) in 10 mL distilled water for 30 mins at RT is all that is need for 
removing glycogen from a PAS.  I used that for 30 years after giving up 
spitting at my mother's insistance.

Bryan Llewellyn



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wiese, Jason VHAROS" <Jason.Wiese <@t> va.gov>
To: "Akemi Allison-Tacha" <akemiat3377 <@t> yahoo.com>; 
<Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 2:22 PM
Subject: RE: [Histonet] diastase digestion


Dinosaur?  I graduated from my HT program in 2000.  I am but a puppy to
most of you big dogs.  However, In the past 6 years of working as a
bench tech, I have found no better digestion method then spitting on the
slide.  As far as "the green stuff after lunch being too much for the
youngsters"... try an autopsy with necrotic bowel after lunch, or why
not before lunch.

We work in pathology and some of us think spit is gross?  Maybe now is a
time to re-evaluate your career choice while you are still young.  I was
in diapers when Bonnie Proctor taught you this most excellent method.  I
used it today.  Is there a problem with this as far as CAP is concerned?
I have it in my protocol.  Even though we all have a different enzyme
make up, I have yet to see different end results from different people's
spit.  So, as long as I am not breaking some cardinal rule I say...
haccc toooowie... :)


Jason Wiese, BS, HT(ASCP)
Histology/Cytology
Roseburg OR
541-440-1000 Ext. 44751






-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Akemi
Allison-Tacha
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 1:21 PM
To: Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] diastase digestion

Hi,
  I was one of those dinosaurs. Years ago, I used to use the old spit
method too.  Nothing like natural enzyme digestion.  I was taught that
method  by Bonnie Proctor from Providence Hospital, Portland OR in 1976.
She was Navy trained.  It worked great, but the green stuff after lunch
got to be a little too much for the younger histo tech's.  Plus, it's
not exactly a set standard protocol, since everyone has different enzyme
make-up. You also had to rinse it off for a long period of time because
it dried out on the parameter.

  Diastase malt didn't seem to work very well after years of
inconsistent results.   Our lab switched to amylase digestion.  We got
more consistent results.  Check with sigma-aldrich.com

  Good Luck,

  Akemi Allison-Tacha BS, HT(ASCP)HTL
  President
  Phoenix Lab Consulting & Staffing
  Specializing in Histology, IHC & TMA
  Madison, WI
  Cell: (925)788-0900
  E-mail: akemiat3377 <@t> yahoo.com

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