[Histonet] Unstained slides

Mon Sep 3 08:42:58 CDT 2018

It appears that the presence of water, both endogenously and exogenously, plays a central role in the loss of antigenicity in stored unstained slides (see reference below).  Labs that are experiencing significant loss of immunoreactivity in their unstained slides should check their tissue processing.

Xie R, Chung J-Y, Ylaya K, et al.:  Factors influencing the degradation of archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections.  J of Histochem Cytochem 2011; 59:356-365.

Richard

Richard W. Cartun, MS, PhD
Director, Histology & The Martin M. Berman, MD Immunopathology & Morphologic Proteomics Laboratory
Director, Biospecimen Collection Programs
Assistant Director, Anatomic Pathology
Hartford Hospital
80 Seymour Street
Hartford, CT  06102
(860) 972-1596
(860) 545-2204 Fax

-----Original Message-----
From: Rene J Buesa via Histonet [mailto:histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu]
Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2018 2:09 PM
To: Frazier, John; Terri Braud
Cc: histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Unstained slides

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Everything has been pointed out is correct BUT also pivot on "how the unstained slides are kept".Kept in a box their "useful life" is quite short (not beyond 1 week at the most).Kept at -80ºC I have used them after years of being stored the principle being of deep-freezing and this is "standard procedure" for IDF "+ controls".Kept in a Coplin jar filled with mineral oil or paraffin covered I have used them after months of being stored the principle being that, isolated from air oxygen, epitopes do not oxidize ("weaken") of if they do, the rate is greatly slowed.On the other hand, usually, unstained slides are kept for only few days in the event that, lets say within a week, the PT decides to order some special procedure and sometimes it is impossible "return" to the original block many times "almost exhausted".Properly done storing unstained slides are extremely useful.René

    On Sunday, August 19, 2018 1:52 PM, "Frazier, John via Histonet" <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu> wrote:

 I agree with Tim as well. This is what we advise our clients to do. It takes some coordination with the pathologist, but it is the best strategy for reducing unnecessary unstained slides. In the studies that we have performed only 10% of the unstained slides that are cut are you and the 90% are are it takes some coordination with the pathologist, but it is the best strategy for reducing unnecessary unstained slides. In the studies that we have performed only 10% of the unstained slides that are cut are you and 90% are thrown away thrown away.
Several laboratories that I have visited in order to reduce the amount of wasted tissue when refacing the blocks, is to reseal the blocks with liquid paraffin, that have scant or small amounts of tissue in the block, such as the needle core biopsy.
Bottom line on this issue is to educate the pathologist, and not water and stain slides except in rare occasions

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 17, 2018, at 14:07, Terri Braud <tbraud at holyredeemer.com> wrote:
>
> I'm with Tim Morken on this one. The variability of antigenicity in storage is so wide open, and there really is no recent data, so we just make a point of educating our techs on not wasting tissue/levels during sectioning.  If the techs feel that the residual tissue in the block is in danger of being exhausted, we communicate with our pathologists on how best to handle any requests.  Unstained slides was time, money, and storage and we are better off without them.
>
> 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
> Care, Comfort, and Heal
>
> Today's Topics:
>  7. Re: Unstained slides - how long are they good for?
>      (Morken, Timothy)
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2018 15:16:00 +0000
> From: "Morken, Timothy" <Timothy.Morken at ucsf.edu>
> To: P Sicurello <patpxs at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Histonet] Unstained slides - how long are they good for?
>
>
> Paula, since it is variable we strive to not have unstained slides. We had kept them indefinitely, then when storage was overwhelming us we reduced it to 2 months maximum. Now we require request for unstained to be ordered in the system and delivered to the pathologist. We do not hold any in the lab. We recut when new stains are ordered. In the past we had routinely cut extras "just in case" but ended up with thousands of unstained slides that were never used. Instead we trained everyone to reduce wastage and get good sections from a cut block with minimal facing. We have not stored unstained sections for many years and they do not seem to be missed.
>
> Tim Morken
> Pathology Site Manager, Parnassus
> Supervisor, Electron Microscopy/Neuromuscular Special Studies
> Department of Pathology UC San Francisco Medical Center
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: P Sicurello via Histonet
> [mailto:histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2018 4:49 PM
> To: HistoNet
> Subject: [Histonet] Unstained slides - how long are they good for?
>
> Hello My Fellow Histologists,
>
> Happy Friday Eve.
>
> The question has come up......  How long are *unstained* slides good for?
> Not for H&E but tests like IHC and molecular testing.  These slides
> have been cut, stored at room temperature, not sealed in anyway, and
> kept in a cardboard box.
>
> Please let me know what your opinions are and what your retention
> policy is concerning *unstained* slides.
>
> Thanks oodles.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Paula Sicurello, HTL (ASCP)CM
>
> Histotechnology Specialist
>
> UC San Diego Health
>
> 200 Arbor Drive
>
> San Diego, CA 92103
>
> (P): 619-543-2872
>
>
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