RE: CAP-negative controls

I believe we are doing it that way too. The whole case has one neg control. If there's an AB that requires pepsin, we have a pepsin neg control, too. If there's one that's heated in Citra, we have a Citra neg control, too. If it's a straight forward AB, we refer back to the case neg control instead having extra neg. Is that what you're looking for?

Cheryl Ann Powell B.S., HTL(ASCP)

Botsford General Hospital

Farmington Hills, MI USA

>From: "Willis, Donna"

>To: 'Dionne Roberge' , Histonet

>Subject: RE: CAP-negative controls

>Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 09:05:39 -0500

>Dionne,

>Yes this is an issue and in our lab. We are doing it the way you described

>but we also consider control tissue type also. Very rarely are we able to

>not run a negative control along with the negative patient. The one good

>thing is that we place the control and patient tissue on the same slide.

>Donna Willis

>Histology Lab Manager

>Harris Methodist Fort Worth, Texas

>-----Original Message-----

>From: Dionne Roberge [mailto:dionne.roberge@dakocytomation.com]

>Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 9:36 PM

>To: Histonet

>Subject: CAP-negative controls

>Dear Histonetters,

>I have many people asking how the negative controls for Immunohistochemistry

>are being done by the professional community. The CAP checklist,

>ANP.22570, requires a negative control for each antibody. Are we using a

>negative control against every primary antibody used in the test or are we

>talking about the specie of the secondary in the detection system? It also

>discusses the pretreatments are to match as well.

>So, how many labs can spare the necessary resources for multiple negative

>controls? For example, we have one case where five antibodies are

>requested. Since I am devils advocate, I have two that are polyclones and

>three that are monoclones. One of the polys is enzyme treated, the other

>has no pretreatment. The monos, one gets a high pH retrieval method, the

>other a citrate, the other gets none. So are we doing five negative

>controls here?

>I bring this to the table because so many people want to know how to handle

>this. I have had the opportunity to visit many labs and all have their own

>way and own interpretations of this.

>We need to have this clarified to provide consistency in testing and good

>standard of patient care and lab practice. It would be nice to hear all

>points of view, laboratorians, pathologists, and those who have dealt with

>being inspected closely for this item, as well as those who have been

>inspectors and how they have handled this issue.

>I know this is a delicate item, but let's remain open minded. We can make a

>positive difference here as a united professional group.

>Thank you in advance for the support and dedication.=20

>Dionne A. Roberge, HT(ASCP), QIHC

>Technical Service Representative

>DAKO Cytomation

>800.400.3256 x5544

>dionne.roberge@dakocytomation.com