PERLS PRUSSIAN BLUE STAIN
PIGMENTS
• Pigments are the substances occurring in living matter which absorb
visible light and impart specific colour. Classified as:
1. Endogenous pigments- produced either within tissues and serve a
physiological function, or are by products of normal metabolic
processes.
a. Hematogenous pigments: Hemosiderin, Haemoglobin, Bile
pigments.
b. Non-hematogenous pigments: Melanin, lipofuscins, chromaffin,
Dubin-Jhonson pigments.
c. Endogenous minerals: Calcium, copper, uric acid.
PIGMENTS
2. Artifact pigments- artifactually produced material caused by the
interactions between certain tissue components and some chemical
substances e.g. formalin and malaria pigments, mercury, starch.
3. Exogenous pigments and minerals- gain access to the body
accidentally through a variety of methods e.g. tattoo pigments,
asbestos, lead, silica, silver.
HEMOSIDERIN
• Yellowish-brown, iron-containing, granular pigment that is found
within reticuloendothelial cells of bone marrow, spleen and liver.
• Hemosiderin is formed by partial degradation of aggregates of ferritin
by lysosome.
• It is a conglomeration of iron, ferritin proteins and other subcellular
constituents.
• It contains Iron in the form of ferric hydroxide which is bound to a
protein framework.
• Hemosiderosis is a condition of iron overload where iron does not
interfere with organ function; but hemochromatosis refers to a
condition of iron overload associated with organ failure.
HISTORY
• Prussian blue was discovered in 1706 and was
first used as synthetic colour in paints by
Diesbach in Berlin.
• In 18th century, Prussian blue was uniform
coat colour worn by infantry and artillery
regiments of Prussian army and later by
German soldiers.
• In 1867, German Pathologist, Max Perls
described it as histochemical stain and hence
Known as “Perls Prussian Blue” or Berlin blue.
PRINCIPLE
Tissue sections when treated with Hydrochloric acid, denatures
the protein binding to hemosiderin molecules ,there by releasing Ferric
(3+) ions. The Ferric ions combine with Potassium Ferrocyanide to form
Ferric Ferrocyanide which is an insoluble bright blue pigment (Prussian
blue)
STAINING PROTOCOL
Fixation
• Formalin
• Avoid the use of acid fixatives.
Sections
• Standard paraffin block sections.
Reagents
• 2% Aqueous potassium ferrocyanide
• 2% Potassium ferrocyanide
• 1% Aqueous neutral red
STAINING PROTOCOL
Method
• Take a test and control section to distilled water.
• Mix equal parts of 2% Hydrochloric acid and 2% Potassium
ferrocyanide solutions and filter on to the sections.
• Leave for 30 min at room temperature, changing to fresh solution
after 15 min.
• Wash in several changes of distilled water.
• Counter stain with the aqueous neutral red solution for 1 min.
(stains other tissue components, nucleus & cytoplasm)
• Wash in distilled water.
• Dehydrate, clear with xylene and mount in DPX.
STAINING PROTOCOL
• Results
• Ferric iron - blue
• Nuclei - red
• Cytoplasm – Pale red
STAINING PROTOCOL
• Validation
• For assessment of Perls stain, section from spleen representing
Gamma Gandy bodies in case of congestive splenomegaly is used
as quality control. Section from control is stained along with test
slide. The intensity and adequacy of staining is compared between
control slide and test slide.
• Other counter stains:
• 0.5% Aqueous neutral red
• 0.1% Safranine
• 0.5% Aqueous Eosin
• 0.1% Nuclear Fast red in 5% aluminium sulphate
• 0.5% Phloxine
• 0.5% Tartrazine
• Other controls:
• Bone marrow
• Postmortem lung tissue: iron positive macrophages (heart failure
cells)
QUALITY CONTROLLING
• Avoid using outdated reagents or improperly stored reagents.
• Iron contamination of glassware must be prevented.
• Avoid washing with tap water as rust in the tap or iron in tap water
may cause false positive staining . Use distilled water.
• Drain slides after each step to avoid solution carry over.
• Wash well after staining with neutral red, as traces of it can form a
granular red deposit.
CLINICAL USE
• To demonstrate iron stores in bone
marrow.
• Interpretation of Perls stain on BMA:
• GRADE 0 : Iron deficiency (a minimum of 7
BM particles must be available before
concluding that hemosiderin is absent.
• GRADE 1,2,3 : Normal iron stores.
• GRADE 4 to 6: Increased iron stores.
Grading of iron stores on BMA(after gale et al)
Grade 2 Grade 5
CLINICAL USE
• Interpretation of iron stores on BM Bx:
• GRADE 0 : Iron deficiency.
• GRADE 1-2 : Normal stores.
• GRADE 3-4 : Increased stores.
GRADING OF IRON STORES ON BMB
CLINICAL USE
• Demonstrate iron deposits in various organs:
• Liver (hemochromatosis)
• Lungs (Congestive heart failure)
• Spleen (Congestive splenomegaly)
• Cardiomyopathies
• Conjunctiva
• Placenta
Intra-Alevolar deposition
Portal macrophages Iron deposition in spleen

perls prusian blue stain in hematology.pptx

  • 1.
  • 2.
    PIGMENTS • Pigments arethe substances occurring in living matter which absorb visible light and impart specific colour. Classified as: 1. Endogenous pigments- produced either within tissues and serve a physiological function, or are by products of normal metabolic processes. a. Hematogenous pigments: Hemosiderin, Haemoglobin, Bile pigments. b. Non-hematogenous pigments: Melanin, lipofuscins, chromaffin, Dubin-Jhonson pigments. c. Endogenous minerals: Calcium, copper, uric acid.
  • 3.
    PIGMENTS 2. Artifact pigments-artifactually produced material caused by the interactions between certain tissue components and some chemical substances e.g. formalin and malaria pigments, mercury, starch. 3. Exogenous pigments and minerals- gain access to the body accidentally through a variety of methods e.g. tattoo pigments, asbestos, lead, silica, silver.
  • 4.
    HEMOSIDERIN • Yellowish-brown, iron-containing,granular pigment that is found within reticuloendothelial cells of bone marrow, spleen and liver. • Hemosiderin is formed by partial degradation of aggregates of ferritin by lysosome. • It is a conglomeration of iron, ferritin proteins and other subcellular constituents. • It contains Iron in the form of ferric hydroxide which is bound to a protein framework. • Hemosiderosis is a condition of iron overload where iron does not interfere with organ function; but hemochromatosis refers to a condition of iron overload associated with organ failure.
  • 5.
    HISTORY • Prussian bluewas discovered in 1706 and was first used as synthetic colour in paints by Diesbach in Berlin. • In 18th century, Prussian blue was uniform coat colour worn by infantry and artillery regiments of Prussian army and later by German soldiers. • In 1867, German Pathologist, Max Perls described it as histochemical stain and hence Known as “Perls Prussian Blue” or Berlin blue.
  • 6.
    PRINCIPLE Tissue sections whentreated with Hydrochloric acid, denatures the protein binding to hemosiderin molecules ,there by releasing Ferric (3+) ions. The Ferric ions combine with Potassium Ferrocyanide to form Ferric Ferrocyanide which is an insoluble bright blue pigment (Prussian blue)
  • 7.
    STAINING PROTOCOL Fixation • Formalin •Avoid the use of acid fixatives. Sections • Standard paraffin block sections. Reagents • 2% Aqueous potassium ferrocyanide • 2% Potassium ferrocyanide • 1% Aqueous neutral red
  • 8.
    STAINING PROTOCOL Method • Takea test and control section to distilled water. • Mix equal parts of 2% Hydrochloric acid and 2% Potassium ferrocyanide solutions and filter on to the sections. • Leave for 30 min at room temperature, changing to fresh solution after 15 min. • Wash in several changes of distilled water. • Counter stain with the aqueous neutral red solution for 1 min. (stains other tissue components, nucleus & cytoplasm) • Wash in distilled water. • Dehydrate, clear with xylene and mount in DPX.
  • 9.
    STAINING PROTOCOL • Results •Ferric iron - blue • Nuclei - red • Cytoplasm – Pale red
  • 10.
    STAINING PROTOCOL • Validation •For assessment of Perls stain, section from spleen representing Gamma Gandy bodies in case of congestive splenomegaly is used as quality control. Section from control is stained along with test slide. The intensity and adequacy of staining is compared between control slide and test slide.
  • 11.
    • Other counterstains: • 0.5% Aqueous neutral red • 0.1% Safranine • 0.5% Aqueous Eosin • 0.1% Nuclear Fast red in 5% aluminium sulphate • 0.5% Phloxine • 0.5% Tartrazine • Other controls: • Bone marrow • Postmortem lung tissue: iron positive macrophages (heart failure cells)
  • 12.
    QUALITY CONTROLLING • Avoidusing outdated reagents or improperly stored reagents. • Iron contamination of glassware must be prevented. • Avoid washing with tap water as rust in the tap or iron in tap water may cause false positive staining . Use distilled water. • Drain slides after each step to avoid solution carry over. • Wash well after staining with neutral red, as traces of it can form a granular red deposit.
  • 13.
    CLINICAL USE • Todemonstrate iron stores in bone marrow. • Interpretation of Perls stain on BMA: • GRADE 0 : Iron deficiency (a minimum of 7 BM particles must be available before concluding that hemosiderin is absent. • GRADE 1,2,3 : Normal iron stores. • GRADE 4 to 6: Increased iron stores. Grading of iron stores on BMA(after gale et al) Grade 2 Grade 5
  • 14.
    CLINICAL USE • Interpretationof iron stores on BM Bx: • GRADE 0 : Iron deficiency. • GRADE 1-2 : Normal stores. • GRADE 3-4 : Increased stores. GRADING OF IRON STORES ON BMB
  • 15.
    CLINICAL USE • Demonstrateiron deposits in various organs: • Liver (hemochromatosis) • Lungs (Congestive heart failure) • Spleen (Congestive splenomegaly) • Cardiomyopathies • Conjunctiva • Placenta Intra-Alevolar deposition Portal macrophages Iron deposition in spleen

Editor's Notes

  • #11 Gamna-Gandy bodies (GGBs), also called tobacco flecks or siderotic nodules, appear as yellow-brownish and spheroidal foci within the splenic parenchyma, are composed of deposits of iron pigments and calcium salts, and are associated with granulomatous inflammatory reactions with multinucleated foreign-body giant cells and fibrous tissues.
  • #13 Acid Clean the glasswares