Qualitative analysis of histochemical and immunohistochemical properties of ethanol, glycerol, and formalin fixative
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71152/ajms.v16i6.4515Keywords:
Fixation; Histochemical stains; Immunohistochemical staining; Ethanol, glycerol, formalin fixative; Formalin; Tissue preservationAbstract
Background: Fixation is essential in histopathology to preserve tissue integrity before analysis, with neutral buffered formalin being the gold standard for decades because of its effective protein cross-linking properties.
Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the histochemical and immunohistochemical properties of ethanol, glycerol, and formalin (EGF) fixative and to compare and analyze the impact of fixation using conventional formalin and EGF fixative on special histochemical stains and immunohistochemical studies.
Materials and Methods: A minimal formalin containing EGF fixative was prepared with a specific concentration of EGF and hypotonic saline. Tissue specimens were collected directly from the surgical operation theatre and were fixed in EGF fixative and formalin fixative. After fixation and processing, the tissues were subjected to various Histochemical stains, including periodic-acid Schiff (PAS), Alcian blue-PAS, Alcian blue, Masson’s Trichrome, Van Gieson, and Reticulin, along with immunohistochemical staining for E-cadherin, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2/neu, and Ki-67. Comparative analyses were done for both fixatives on histochemical and immunohistochemistry stains.
Results: This study assessed the efficacy of EGF fixative and is compared with conventional formalin for histochemical and immunohistochemical stains which was found to be effective. This minimal formalin-containing EGF fixative was qualitatively comparable to conventional formalin fixative for histochemical and immunohistochemical stains.
Conclusion: EGF fixative is a safe alternative to conventional formalin for routine histochemical and immunohistochemical staining, offering a means to mitigate the health risks associated with formalin exposure among health-care professionals.
Downloads
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Asian Journal of Medical Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- The journal holds copyright and publishes the work under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC license that permits use, distribution and reprduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. The journal should be recognised as the original publisher of this work.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
