title: Canadian Association of Pathologists-Association canadienne des pathologistes National Standards Committee for High Complexity Testing/Immunohistochemistry: guidelines for the preparation, release, and storage of unstained archived diagnostic tissue sections for immunohistochemistry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded unstained archived diagnostic tissue sections are frequently exchanged between clinical laboratories for immunohistochemical staining. The manner in which such sections are prepared represents a type of preanalytical variable that must be taken into account given the growing importance of immunohistochemical assays, especially predictive and prognostic tests, in personalized medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recommendations were derived from review of the literature and expert consensus of the Canadian Association of Pathologists-Association canadienne des pathologists National Standards Committee for High Complexity Testing/Immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relevant considerations include the type of glass slide on which to mount the unstained sections; the thickness of the tissue sections; the time from slide preparation to testing; the environment, particularly the temperature at which the unstained sections will be maintained prior to testing; the inclusion of on-slide positive control tissue where possible; and whether patient identifier(s) should be included on slide labels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clear communication between requesting and releasing laboratories will facilitate the proper preparation of unstained sections and also ensure that applicable privacy considerations are addressed.
authors.affiliation: From the Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;
authors.forename: Carol C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada;
authors.forename: Diponkar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University and Capital District Health Authority, Halifax, Canada;
authors.forename: Penny J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Alberta, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Canada;
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Berendt
authors.affiliation: From the Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;
authors.forename: Jagdish
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Butany
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Alberta, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Canada;
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Canil
authors.affiliation: From the Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;
authors.forename: Blaise A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: From the Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;
authors.forename: Hala
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El-Zimaity
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada;
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garratt
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University and Capital District Health Authority, Halifax, Canada;
authors.forename: Laurette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Geldenhuys
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Vancouver General Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada;
authors.forename: C Blake
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Gilks
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Services of Manitoba, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Canada;
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manning
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada;
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mengel
authors.affiliation: From the Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;
authors.forename: Bayardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Perez-Ordonez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Medicine Program, Lakeridge Health, Oshawa, Canada;
authors.forename: Dragana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pilavdzic
authors.affiliation: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; and.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riddell
authors.affiliation: University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle.
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.affiliation: From the Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; emina.torlakovic@uhn.ca.
authors.forename: Emina E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Torlakovic
mesh_terms: D001109:Archives; D002170:Canada; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000592:standards*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D005557:Formaldehyde
keywords: Archived diagnostic tissue; Guidelines; Immunohistochemistry; Unstained sections