The Effects of Different Fixatives on Immunohistochemical Staining of Skin Tissue

Abstract

We aimed to investigate the effect of Carnoy and %10 formaldehyde fixatives on immunohistochemical staining properties and morphological structure of skin tissue. Fresh skin samples were obtained from Department of Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Selcuk Medicine. The skin samples were divided to two groups as making fixation in Carnoy whether % 10 formaldehyde solutions. After fixation, the same routine histological process were applied to skins samples. While immunohistochemical staining and other stainings, the same methods were applied to 5 micron thick paraffin sections from skin tissue. Hematoxylin-Eosin and Masson’s Trichrome histochemical stains and F8, Actin and Ki67 immunohistochemical stains were applied to all groups. There was not a morphological difference between Carnoy and Formaldeyde fixed tissue sectiones according to Hematoxylin-Eosin and Masson Trichrome staining. However, the immunohistochemical stained preparations which were fixed with 10% formalin, corroded. And integrity was lost in the retrieval stage performed with microwave. Abrasion was seen in the reticular layer of dermis in which fixed in formalin. When compared with formalin fixation to make fixation with by Carnoy solution gives successful results in the retrieval stage performed with microwave according to skin tissue.