[Histonet] RE: On-slide IHC control workflow?

[Tony Henwood (SCHN)]

Unfortunately some controls cannot be confidently used in a TMA eg CD15 - where often Hodgkin's cells are sparse in the block, or CMV or adenovirus - again same reason - sparse positive cells. We sometimes use composite blocks, eg skin and lymph node for S100 and CD1a - (dendritic cells) or (in my past) Prostate adenocarcinoma and salivary gland for prostate specific antigen.
We tend to cut our controls and place them near the label end of the slide. We do not heat them but dry them (10minutesbefore placing in a closed labelled box ready for use. The box is labelled with the antigens the control slides are used for. There might be issues with aged pre-cut slides but we have not noticed ant deterioration with the antibodies we use.

Regards 
Tony Henwood JP, MSc, BAppSc, GradDipSysAnalys, CT(ASC), FFSc(RCPA) 
Laboratory Manager & Senior Scientist, the Children's Hospital at Westmead
Adjunct Fellow, School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney 

Tel: 612 9845 3306 
Fax: 612 9845 3318 
Pathology Department
the children's hospital at westmead
Cnr Hawkesbury Road and Hainsworth Street, Westmead
Locked Bag 4001, Westmead NSW 2145, AUSTRALIA 


-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Morken, Timothy
Sent: Thursday, 5 December 2013 4:46 AM
To: Histonet
Subject: [Histonet] On-slide IHC control workflow?

We are planning our move to using on-slide controls for IHC and I'm wondering how other labs handle the workflow and logistics of matching controls to stain orders.

We plan to use a TMA for 80% of our orders. So far we have one TMA that covers most Ab's but the number will probably will be expanded (neuropath-specific, Hempath specific, etc).

For those who do this now, how do you handle these tasks:


*         Do you use TMA or single-tissue controls? Or a mix?

*

*         Cutting all the controls - one or more techs? Part of normal work? Outsource? (especially TMA cutting - inhouse or outsource?)


*         How do you store the controls? (We plan to cut nearly just-in-time, maybe two days from use).


*         How do you distribute to the cutters?


*         How do you Indicate to the cutting techs which control slide to use for a particular stain? (we use over 200 antibodies so need to make as easy as possible without memorization)


*         How do you prevent the wrong control slide from being used?


Anything else we should consider?

Thanks for any help!!

Tim Morken
Supervisor, Electron Microscopy and Neuromuscular Special Studies UC San Francisco Medical Center Box 1656
505 Parnassus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94143
USA

415.353.1266  (office)
tim.morken <@t> ucsfmedctr.org<mailto:tim.morken <@t> ucsfmedctr.org>


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