title: Staining method for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) and its mechanism.
abstract: HBs Ag in the hepatocytes has been stained by the orcein method. As degenerative and necrotic cytoplasms of hepatocytes are occasionally stained also by this method, it is difficult to identify HBs Ag. The orcein dye has different staining properties from lot to lot, causing difficulty in obtaining stable results. Therefore, the author tried to modify the orcein method and found that the procedure using a sensitizer (ferric ammonium sulfate or uranium nitrate) after oxidizing the solution gave stable and satisfactory results. By this method, in the hepatocytes, only HBs Ag is stained positively. The mechanism of function of the sensitizer is not clear, but it is considered that ferric or uranium ions occupy small gaps in the protein molecular structure in the cells before orcein molecules occupy these gaps and that the method does not give any false positive result. It is also suggested that various HBs Ag staining dyes can react with sulfonic acid residue groups which are formed by the oxidization of disulfide group of proteins. Another new staining method for HBs Ag using resorcin fuchsin has been developed. The results of this method were also discussed.
mesh_terms: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D010078:Oxazines; D011786:Quality Control; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D010078:Oxazines; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; C002313:PAcein