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Special Immunohistochemistry Studies
Immunohistochemistry Studies of Fluids and Cytology SpecimensSuccessful identification of tumor type using immunohistochemical techniques can generally be performed on cells from body fluids, e.g., pleural or ascitic fluid. If sufficient fluid is available, it may be forwarded to PhenoPath Laboratories where we will spin it down and prepare a cell pellet, which can then be fixed, embedded in paraffin, and treated as a tissue block. (We can also perform studies on paraffin blocks of fluid preparations made in your laboratory.) While immunohistochemistry can also be performed on air-dried cytology preparations, occasionally there are problems with loss of the cells in question during the immunostaining procedure. When in doubt about the use of a particular specimen for immunohistochemistry studies, please phone the laboratory (1-888-92-PHENO), and one of our technologists will be happy to assist you. The image below highlights the demonstration of estrogen receptors in rare scattered tumor cells present in a pleural fluid cell block, helping to identify these as metastatic carcinoma from a breast primary.
Immunohistochemistry Studies Performed on Previously Stained SlidesThe diagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma can generally be confirmed by identifying the loss of the high MW-cytokeratin-positive outer cell layer, and/or the expression of the alphamethylacyl-CoA racemase (P504S). In some instances, however, where the only tumor available for analysis has been cut and stained, the H&E slide(s) can be sent to PhenoPath Laboratories, where the glass coverslip can be removed, the tissue destained, and appropriate antibodies applied. The image below demonstrates the identification of prostatic carcinoma in a destained H&E-stained tissue section. Note loss of outer cell layer using antibody 34ßE12 (arrows) which identifies outer cell layer on adjacent normal prostate glands. While immunohistochemistry can generally be performed on previously stained sections, the tissue section can be lost during the immunostaining procedure. This procedure is recommended only if no other tissue is available.
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