Tissue sample
5µ paraffin sections of formalin fixed tissue are suitable.
Method
Bring sections to water via xylene and ethanol.
Rinse with distilled water.
Place in periodic acid for 1 minute.
Rinse well with tap water.
Rinse with distilled water.
Place in Schiff's reagent for 1 minute (see note).
Wash with tap water for 2 minutes.
Rinse with distilled water.
Place in Mayer's hemalum for 2 minutes.
Rinse well with tap water
Place in working methylene blue for 1 minute.
Rinse with distilled water.
Dehydrate, clear and mount with a resinous medium.
Expected results
Mucin – pink
Helicobacter – blue
Notes
The method was obtained from a posting on the Histonet listserver, March, 1998.
The Histonet source did not explicitely specify immersion in Schiff's reagent,
but this was clearly an oversight.
The time in Schiff's reagent is an estimate and should be altered to produce the desired effect.
The authors specified Coleman's Schiff reagent.
Others would likely be satisfactory.
Reference Cohen LF, Sayeeduddin MHT, Phillips C. A new staining method for identification of Helicobacter pylori and simultaneous visualization of gastric morphologic features.
Modern Pathology 1997; v. 10, No. 11, pp. 1160-1163.
