Special stains

Description:	pigments,minerals, cytoplasmic granules
Category:	Histology
Created by:	nperez on 2009-02-15

Question	Answer
Detect ferric iron in tissue	prussian blue
found in small amounts of bone marrow and spleen	ferric iron
detects ferric iron in losely bound protein complexes (hemosiderin)	prussian blue
sections are treated w/ an acidic solution of potassium ferocyanide and any ferric iron present reacts to form an insoluble bright blue pigment	prussian blue reaction
fixation: alcohol or 10%NBF	Prussian blue
control- section containing ferric iron.	prussian blue
excessive amounts of iron are not desirable. the reaction product is slightly soluble and may contaminate the incubating solution, giving a background stain to whole section	prussian blue
coplin jars used for iron hematoxylin, not cleaned properly, may contaminate the section	prussian blue
Iron might be dissolved by some of the acidic fixatives and decal solutions.	prussian blue
Iron is still demonstratable in a bone bx specimen if it is fixed overnight in Zenker solution containing 3% acetic acid. both fixation and decal are accomplished and the iron is still present	prussian blue
Nuclei -bright red	prussian blue
deomstrate argentaffin substances, melanin, argentaffin granules of carcinoid tumors and some neurosecretory granules	fontana masson
not specific for melanin or argentaffin granules, as formalin will give positive reaction	fonatana masson
possess ability to bind silver froma a silver solution and reduce it to a visible metallic silver w/o the need of a reducing agent	fontana masson
certain components are argentaffin. they posses ability to bind silver from a silver solution w/o need of a seperate reducing agent	fontana masson
fixation: alcohol should be avoid, it disolves argentaffin granules	fontana masson
control - section of skin for melanin, small intestine or appendix for argentaffin granules	fontana masson
glassware should be chemically cleaned and nonmetallic instruments must be used	fontana masson
melanin -black	fontana masson
purpose - demonstrate argyrophil granules in neurosecretory tumors	grimelius argyrophil stain
principle - certain tissue elements have the ability to bind silver ions from solution but not inheret the abilty to reduce the silver to its visible metallic form. an external or chemical reducer is used for this purpose	grimelius argyrophil stain
control- an argyrophil positive carcinoid tumor is preferred but a section of small intestine maybe used	grimelius argyrophil stain
chemically cleaned glassware and nonmetallic forceps required	grimelius argyrophil stain
staining results arghyrophil granules - dark brown to black,	grimelius argyrophil stain
purpose - demonstrate presence of bilirubin in tissue	bile stain (hall)
principle - a specific and easily identifiable green color develops when bilirubin is oxidized to biliverdin in an acid medium	bile stain hall
oxidation reaction is rapidly accomplished by ferric chloride in triochloroacetic acid medium	bile stain hall
sectioning - frozens can also be used.	bile stain hall
staining results: bile or bilirubin emerald green to olive drab,	bile stain hall
purpose - to identify presence of calcium in tissue	von Kossa
principle - indirect way of detecting calcium. silver reacts with the anions, primarily carbonate and phosphate of the calcium salts. bright light reduces the silver salt to metallic silver and unreduced silver is removed by sodium thiosulfate	von Kossa
fixation: alcohols or 10%NBF	von Kossa
control - section containing calcium, sunlight or uv light are necessary to develop the stain. if it is overcast you will need to incubate longer	von Kossa
stain results: calcium salts - black,	von Kossa
purpose - detect copper in tissue, xpecialy liver, in WILSONS DISEASE	rhodanine method for copper
principle: this method appears to be MORE SENSITIVE than rubeanic acid method H.E. it has been suggested that the rodanine demonstrates prtein to which the copper binds rather than the copper itself.	rhodanine method for copper
may be less specific giving false positive results	rhodanine method for copper
sections 6-8 microns	rhodanine method for copper
control: section w/ copper	rhodanine method for copper
fetal liver not fixed more than 24 hours before processing contains copper within the hepatocytes	rhodanine method for copper
do not over counter stain w/ hematoxilyn it might mask the copper	rhodanine method for copper
staining results: copper bright red or rust intracytoplasmic granules,	rhodanine method for copper
hemofuchsin - bright red	prussian blue
hemosiderin - blue	prussian blue
background - pink	prussian blue
argentaffin granules - black	fontana masson
nuclei-pink	fontana masson
argentaffin granules - dark brown to black,	grimelius argyrophil stain
nuclei red,	grimelius argyrophil stain
background pale yellow brown	grimelius argyrophil stain
control tissue containing bile	bile stain hall
background - yellow	bile stain hall
background - red	von Kossa
nuclei - blue	rhodanine method for copper
hemofuchsin - bright red	prussian blue
hemosiderin - blue	prussian blue
background - pink	prussian blue
argentaffin granules - black	fontana masson
nuclei-pink	fontana masson
argentaffin granules - dark brown to black,	grimelius argyrophil stain
nuclei red,	grimelius argyrophil stain
background pale yellow brown	grimelius argyrophil stain
control tissue containing bile	bile stain hall
background - yellow	bile stain hall
background - red	von Kossa
nuclie - blue	rhodanine method for copper