title: Ultraviolet light enhances the bovine serum albumin fixation for acid fast bacilli stain.
abstract: The use of a liquid culture system such as MGIT broth has greatly improved the sensitivity of isolating mycobacteria in clinical laboratories. Microscopic visualization of acid fast bacilli (AFB) in the culture positive MGIT broth remains the first routine step for rapidly indicating the presence of mycobacteria. We modified an ultraviolet (UV) light fixation process to increase AFB cells adherence to the slide. The retained haze proportion of a 1-cm circle marked area on the smear slide was quantified after the staining procedure indicating the adherence degree of AFB cells. More AFB cells were preserved on the slide after exposure to UV light of either germicidal lamp or UV crosslinker in a time-dependent manner. We demonstrated both the bovine serum albumin (BSA) in MGIT media and UV light exposure were required for enhancing fixation of AFB cells. While applying to AFB stains for 302 AFB positive MGIT broths in clinics, more AFB cells were retained and observed on smear slides prepared by the modified fixation procedure rather than by the conventional method. The modified fixation procedure was thus recommended for improving the sensitivity of microscopic diagnosis of AFB cells in culture positive MGIT broth.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Medical Science, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan ; Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital and National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jun-Ren
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital and National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yun-Hsiang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital and National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pei-Yin
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yung-Chieh
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chen-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Medical Science, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan ; Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital and National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tzong-Shi
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Chiueh
mesh_terms: D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine