This article was in the last issue of the Journal of Histotechnology.
I have it set aside, to try out in my "free time" this summer.

>From what I remember about the article (I'm at home, the Journal
is at work), the first 3 steps were used to remove some of the
endogenous material/formalin pigment/etc. that would react with
the silver nitrate.

I thought I would try it both ways. My gut level feeling (from
my scientific knowledge - to get back to the art/science topic)
is that, if you use the 3 pre-treatment steps, you will get a
cleaner background with less silver staining/precipitate. However,
if you have never done any of the pre-treatments for any of the
silver CNS stains that you are doing now, then your pathologist 
will probably not complain about the amount on this new procedure
if you do not do the pre-treatment. On the other hand, your
pathologist may end up raving about the lack of background
staining with the new method. On the third hand, your pathologist
may be looking at only the nerve fibers and tangles, and not
even "see" the background. Who knows what lurks in the minds
of a pathologist?

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073

"Hardy, Denise" wrote:
> 
> I was interested in the article entitled:  Rapid and Economical Silver
> Impregnation Technique to Demonstrate Nerve Fibers, Axons, Neurons, and
> Senile Plaques and Neurofibrillary Tangles of Alzheimer's Disease  written
> by Garvey, Bigelow, and Carpenter (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario)
> The procedure describes a pretreatment step.  I wasn't sure if the
> pretreatment step was required or if you would perform 1 of the 3 as opposed
> to all 3?  Does anyone have an answer, please?
> Denise Hardy
> ARUP