[Histonet] RE: Negative Controls for IHC

[Cartun, Richard]

I apologize for the delay in responding to your e-mail; I just returned from the 2014 Applied IHC and Molecular Morphology meeting in Miami where this subject was discussed (as you might expect).

The answer is, "Yes".  The bottom line is that every laboratory running non-avidin-biotin-based diagnostic IHC tests must evaluate their own experience with "Negative Reagent Controls" (NRCs).  If they prove useful to the pathologists reading the IHC slides, continue to run them.  If not, discontinue them and conserve precious patient tissue/cells that can be used for additional testing, and, at the same time, save you laboratory thousands of dollars.

I have an Editorial on this subject coming out in a major journal next month.  I've been told that there is an article coming as well.  I added "NRC" to our antibody dictionary years ago so that pathologists can order a NRC whenever they need it "after" reviewing their IHC slides.  During a 5 year period, only "28" NRCs were ordered and I ordered "22" of them (primarily for education and teaching purposes).  Keep in mind that my laboratory runs 40-50,000 IHC tests per year.

Make you own decision ....

Richard

Richard W. Cartun, MS, PhD
Director, Histology & Immunopathology
Director, Biospecimen Collection Programs
Assistant Director, Anatomic Pathology
Hartford Hospital
80 Seymour Street
Hartford, CT  06102
(860) 972-1596 Office
(860) 545-2204 Fax
richard.cartun <@t> hhchealth.org

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Abbott, Tanya
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 1:54 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Negative Controls for IHC

I just read in Advance Dec 2013 that there is a possibility of laboratories utilizing fewer QC controls to cut costs? Has anyone stopped running negative controls for IHC?

Tanya G. Abbott RT (CSMLS)
Manager Technologist, Histology/Cytology St. Joseph Medical Center Reading, PA 19603-0316 ph  610-378-2635 fax 610-898-5871
email: tanyaabbott <@t> catholichealth.net

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