Hi Michelle.

There has been some studies on the "storage subject" recently, both blocks
and sections. Below is a list of some of these publications.

Kenneth Wester

Storing of paraffinblocks and sections

1.	Henson, D. E. Loss of p53-immunostaining intensity in breast cancer
[editorial;
comment], J Natl Cancer Inst. 88: 1015-6, 1996.

2.	Jacobs, T. W., Prioleau, J. E., Stillman, I. E., and Schnitt, S. J.
Loss of tumor
marker-immunostaining intensity on stored paraffin slides of breast cancer
[see
comments], J Natl Cancer Inst. 88: 1054-9, 1996.

3.	Prioleau, J. and Schnitt, S. J. p53 antigen loss in stored paraffin
slides [letter] [see
comments], N Engl J Med. 332: 1521-2, 1995.

4.	Kato, J., Sakamaki, S., and Niitsu, Y. More on p53 antigen loss in
stored paraffin
slides [letter; comment], N Engl J Med. 333: 1507-8, 1995.

5.	Bromley, C. M., Palechek, P. L., and Benda, J. A. Preservation of
estrogen receptor
in paraffin sections,
Journal of Histotechnology. 17: 115-118, 1994.

6.	Manne, U., Myers, R. B., Srivastava, S., and Grizzle, W. E. Re:
loss of tumor
marker-immunostaining intensity on stored paraffin slides of breast cancer
[letter],
J Natl Cancer Inst. 89: 585-6, 1997.

7.	McDermott, N., Farah, N., Milburn, C., Butler, D., Kay, E., Barry
Walsh, C., and
Leader, M. MIB1 staining in archival material: problems with immunostaining
in older
paraffin embedded tissue may limit its predictive value,
J Cell Pathol. 2: 113-115, 1997.

8.	Bertheau, P., Cazals-Hatem, D., Meignin, V., de Roquancourt, A.,
Verola, O.,
Lesourd, A., Sene, C., Brocheriou, C., and Janin, A. Variability of
immunohistochemical
reactivity on stored paraffin slides, J Clin Pathol. 51: 370-4, 1998.

9.	Shin, H. J., Kalapurakal, S. K., Lee, J. J., Ro, J. Y., Hong, W.
K., and Lee, J. S.
Comparison of p53 immunoreactivity in fresh-cut versus stored slides with
and without
microwave heating, Mod Pathol. 10: 224-30, 1997.

10.	Katoh, A. K., Stemmler, N., Specht, S., and D'Amico, F.
Immunoperoxidase
staining for estrogen and progesterone receptors in archival formalin
fixed, paraffin
embedded breast carcinomas after microwave antigen retrieval,
Biotech Histochem. 72: 291-8, 1997.

11.	Dwork, A.J., Liu, D., Kaufman, M.A. & Prohovnik, I. Archival,
formalin-fixed
tissue: its use in the study of Alzheimer's type changes.
Clin Neuropathol 17, 45-49 (1998).

12.	Miettinen, M. Immunostaining of intermediate filament proteins in
paraffin
sections. Evaluation of optimal protease treatment to improve the
immunoreactivity.
Pathol Res Pract 184, 431-436 (1989).

13.	Olapade-Olaopa, E.O., MacKay, E.H. & Habib, F.K. Variability of
immunohistochemical reactivity on stored paraffin slides [letter].
J Clin Pathol 51, 943 (1998).

14.	Grabau, D.A. et al. Influence of storage temperature and
high-temperature antigen
retrieval buffers on results of immunohistochemical staining in sections
stored for long
periods. Appl Immunohistochem 6, 209-213 (1998).

15.	Wester, K. et al. Paraffin section storage. Effects of temperature,
fixation time and
retrieval protocol with ephasis on p53 and MIB1 immunohistochemistry.
AIMM 8, 61-70 (2000).

16. Malmstrom, P.U., Wester, K., Vasko, J. & Busch, C. Expression of
proliferative
cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in urinary bladder carcinoma. Evaluation of
antigen
retrieval methods. Apmis 100, 988-992 (1992).

17.	Dash, R.C., Ballo, M.S. & Layfield, L.J. Decay of androgen receptor
immunoreactivity in archived tissue by using monoclonal antibody F3.9.4.1.
Appl
Immunohistochem 6, 145-149 (1998).

18.	van den Broek, L.J. & van de Vijver, M.J. Assessment of problems in
diagnostic
and research immunohistochemistry associated with epitope instability in
stored paraffin
sections. Appl Immunohistochem Molecul Morphol 8, 316-321 (2000).




>Thanks to all who responded about my IHC decreased staining post.
>
>Several people have mentioned storage of the controls.  Some are purchased
>slides, so obviously they are precut and they are stored in the
>refrigerator.  But most are freshly cut from blocks which are stored at
>room temperature.  I was under the impression most people store blocks at
>room temperature, is this correct?  How long can controls last?  We just
>started doing histology so our oldest blocks are only 6 months old.
>
>
>Michelle
>
>
>Michelle Peiffer
>*************************************************************
>Electron Microscope Facility for the Life Sciences
>Penn State University Biotechnology Institute
>001 South Frear Lab
>University Park PA 16802
>
>phone: 814-865-0212
>email:  mlk101@psu.edu
>**************************************************************
>


Kenneth Wester, Ph.D.
Depts. of Surgical Sciences and Genetics & Pathology
Experimental urology, The Rudbeck laboratory
Uppsala University
Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 20
S-752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
phone:  +46 (0)18 611 02 06
fax:    +46 (0)18 471 3432
e-mail: kenneth.wester@genpat.uu.se