Martha, I will try and answer your questions; fortunately our lab is adjacent to the renal pathology lab so I inquired of them how they deal with the specimens they get.  When there is a "native" biopsy, the transplant surgeon knows to get a decent sized core biopsy or he gets two biopsies.  These are divided up for processing, freezing and EM.  For other biopsies, only processing is done.  Usually this works out fine but sometimes the lab receives only a small core biopsy for processing, freezing and EM.  The renal pathology tech then just has to make the most of what she gets.  As for the role the IHC lab plays; we stain frozen sections for C4d using Biogenesis cat. # 2222-8004 at 1:600 on Ventana immunostainers for 24" - 32" depending on which instrument we use.  We do a lot of transplants at our institution and so far the clinicians and renal pathologists have been pretty happy with our stain.  

Hope this helps,

Linda A. Sebree, HT(ASCP)
University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics
IHC/ISH Laboratory
A4/204-2472
600 Highland Ave.
Madison, WI 53792
(608)265-6596
FAX: (608)262-7174


-----Original Message-----
From: Martha Ward [mailto:mward@wfubmc.edu]
Sent: Friday, September 27, 2002 12:34 PM
To: Sebree Linda A.
Subject: RE: C4d staining for renal biopsies


My question arises because in many cases we get such small amounts of material that we are unable to submit  a piece for routine processing, EM and freezing a piece for IMF panels.  In those cases our pathologist will submit the whole piece for processing and we can do the IMF panel on paraffin if need be.  How do you handle those situations and also could you provide me with a protocol, and antibody vendor for the C4d? Thanks for your help.

	-----Original Message----- 
	From: Sebree Linda A. [mailto:la.sebree@hosp.wisc.edu] 
	Sent: Fri 9/27/2002 1:01 PM 
	To: Martha Ward 
	Cc: Histonet 
	Subject: RE: C4d staining for renal biopsies
	
	

	Martha,
	
	We only do C4d on frozen renal biopsies  mainly because the clinicians want their answer sooner rather than later.
	
	Linda A. Sebree, HT(ASCP)
	University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics
	IHC/ISH Laboratory
	A4/204-2472
	600 Highland Ave.
	Madison, WI 53792
	(608)265-6596
	FAX: (608)262-7174
	
	
	-----Original Message-----
	From: Martha Ward [mailto:mward@wfubmc.edu]
	Sent: Friday, September 27, 2002 10:22 AM
	To: HISTONET@pathology.swmed.edu
	Subject: C4d staining for renal biopsies
	
	
	Our lab has had inquiries about adding this antibody to our protocol for transplant renal biopsies and I wanted to hear from labs that are currently performing it.  All the protocols I have seen reference frozen tissue but we were wondering if there is a way to do it on ffpe tissues.  Any and all help will be greatly appreciated!
	
	Martha Ward, MT (ASCP) QIHC
	Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
	Winston-Salem, NC
	1-336-716-2756