Judith,

Of course the ideal controls for cytology IHC specimens are cytology
specimens.  It's not really that arduous to maintain a batch of cytospins in
the freezer for that purpose.  Second best, and what we usually have to
resort to is frozen sections, these take a bit more time and effort to cut
and store.  Paraffin sections should be a last resort and no your cytology
specimens don't need HIER.  You are already comparing apples and oranges
when using paraffin sections as controls for cytology cases, you aren't
evening things out at this point in treating the two types of specimens the
same.  As our former boss used to say, using paraffin controls for cytology
specimens is only ensuring that "the antibody ain't dead".  Also, we have
found that in general we need to go more concentrated with our antibody for
frozens and cytology specimens; using paraffin controls doesn't tell you if
you have an optimized protocol for your patient specimen that is either a
frozen section or a cytology specimen.

Linda A. Sebree, HT
University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics
Immunohistochemistry/In Situ Hybridization Laboratory
D4/218-2472
600 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI  53792-2472


(608)265-6596
FAX: (608)263-1568

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Carpenter, Judith A. [SMTP:Jude.Carpenter@vtmednet.org]
> Sent:	Wednesday, September 22, 1999 7:09 AM
> To:	'NSH'
> Subject:	IHC cytology controls
> 
> Hello good Histo people-
> 
> We need to know how folks are handling cytology slides for IHC.  We have
> always
> put the cytology test slides (thin preps, smears, etc) in with our
> surgical
> slides (FFPE)
> and done HIER (steamer) along with tissue controls for the cytologies.
> Surgicals are
> mounted on the control slide.
> We realize that our cytologies are fixed in 95% ETOH and really don't
> require the HIER
> but as we only have tissue control slides we subject them to the same
> treatment as
> our FFPE controls.  To reduce any and all background in the cytologies we
> have been told not 
> to do HIER on these slides.  Unfortunately we only have tissue controls
> and
> these require HIER
> which diniishes their value as true controls with cytologies that do not
> get
> HIER. 
>  
>  We really don't want to get into the daunting task of maintaining cyto
> prep
> control slides if we don't have to.
> Can any of you PLEASE contact me with how you handle cyto testing and
> control slides ??
>  Thanks very much-
> Jude
> Jude Carpenter,BS, HTL(ASCP)
> Chief Technologist/Surgical Pathology/Histology/Autopsy
> FAHC/MCHV Campus
> 111 Colchester Ave.
> Burlington,   VT  05401
> (802)656-5116
> FAX : (802)656-3509
> jude.carpenter@vtmednet.org
> 
>