[Histonet] BMSS Elastic

[Terri Braud]

Just a note:  The results of the stain are supposed to be elastic fibers: Blue-black to black.  If you stain something with a bluish tint, then counterstain over it with Van Gieson's (red)... 
Well, red and blue make purple.  Even the picture that accompanies the kit in the catalogue shows the fibers in purple.  Since all Ventana instruments work on the principle of 4 minute intervals, you can increase the level of staining in the Elastic Stain, 4 minutes at a time up to 32 minutes.  I think the decolorization step and Van Gieson's are set to the 4 minute minumum, but check to see.  The trick being to increase the Elastic Stain and decrease the differentiation (destaining) step, or the counterstain (Van Gieson's step) bearing in mind that the Van Gieson's will slightly continue to decolorize the elastic.
Best of luck.

Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP)
Anatomic Pathology Supervisor
Laboratory
Holy Redeemer Hospital
1648 Huntingdon Pike
Meadowbrook, PA 19046
ph: 215-938-3689
fax: 215-938-3874
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