Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42022038›Full record

ArticleCytoJournal2026

Destaining hematoxylin and eosin stains and restaining for immunohistochemistry has diagnostic value for cytology samples.

Mohammad M Al-Attar, Tianle Zou, Salwa Khedr, Min Zhang, Karen Dresser, Andrew H Fischer

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Article in CytoJournal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Mohammad M Al-AttarDepartment of Pathology, Mass General Brigham, Boston, United States.
Tianle ZouDepartment of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, United States.
Salwa KhedrDepartment of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, United States.
Min ZhangDepartment of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7367-719X
Karen DresserDepartment of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, United States.
Andrew H FischerDepartment of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: The use of one antibody per slide for immunohistochemical (IHC) studies is difficult to interpret when neoplastic cells are sparse, mixed with complex mixtures of other cells, or are obscured by the IHC stain itself. To accurately assign IHC results to particular neoplastic cells, we developed and validated a technique of destaining hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stains and restaining (DSRS) by IHC on cytology cell block sections and studied its utility. Materials and Methods: We identified 9 patients with fine needle aspiration (FNA) samples performed for a variety of tumors. Specimens were collected and made into ThinPreps and cell blocks. Cell block serial H&E stains revealed a rich background of benign cells, with rare scattered atypical cells arranged singly or in small clusters. Select H&E slides were scanned, destained, and then restained with one IHC biomarker per H&E. Slide scanning and image synchronization were used in tracking neoplastic cells. IHC results were validated for the DSRS process for all antibodies without the need for modification of the IHC protocol. Diagnoses rendered on the limited FNA samples were compared with those made on core biopsies, resections, or cytologic samples with ample cell quantity. Results: DSRS of the limited FNA samples did not compromise the quality of tissues or IHC, and comparison of the limited FNA diagnosis and final diagnosis rendered on more adequate specimens revealed concordant and accurate diagnosis in 89% (8/9) of cases, in contrast to a concordance rate of 22% (2/9) before the use of DSRS while the immunostain interpretation accuracy rate is 100% (9/9). Conclusion: DSRS of cytology cell block sections allows IHC stains to be ascribed to particular cells, enabling diagnosis when material is sparse, when diagnostic cells are admixed with other cell types, and when the IHC stain itself would otherwise obscure the identity of cells. DSRS provides an inexpensive alternative to other, more advanced techniques such as multiplex IHC or immunofluorescence.

Indexed as

Cell blockCell trackingCytology fine needle aspirationHematopoietic neoplasmImmunohistochemistry

Identifiers

PMID42022038
PMCPMC13098383

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.