Platelet Peroxidase on Paraffin Tissue

1/24/97

I am requesting help with trying to diagnose a bone marrow biopsy which

shows tumor infiltration.

The pathologists query whether or not it is megakaryoblastic and

consequently would like Platelet Peroxidase (PPO) performed on it.

Unfortunately, the only material I have is a Formalin fixed, Paraffin

embedded bone marrow specimen.

Has anyone had any experience with doing platelet peroxidase on paraffin

embedded tissue?

Zyg Poczwa.

Richard Lander, NZCS

South Campus Electron Microscope Unit

c/- Pathology Department

Otago Medical School

P.O. Box 913

Dunedin

New Zealand.

Tel. National 03 479 7301 Fax. National 03 479 7254

We have not been successful in recovering peroxidase activity in parafin

embedded tissue. The platelet peroxidase (as apposed to that in

neutrophils) is very sensitive. Prolonged fixation will also remove

activity. We have been successful at diagnosing M7 (megakaryoblastic

leukemia) in peripheral blood using a combination of specific

platelet peroxidase staining (using Breton-Gorius's published method)

and immunostaining for GPIIb/IIIa (alphaIIb beta3 integrin). This is

relatively easy to do and only requires that the peripheral blood have

significant numbers of blasts.

Sorry I could not give a more positive answer, but with platelet

peroxidase I think you will not be successful with anything other than

very fresh tissue.

aka: W. Gray Jerome

Dept. of Pathology

Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University

Medical Center Blvd

Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1092

910-716-4972

jjerome@bgsm.edu