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The use of microwave irradiation as a pretreatment toin situ hybridization for the detection of measles virus and chicken anaemia virus in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue

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Summary

Microwave irradiation was investigated as a pretreatment toin situ hybridization on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. Two probe/tissue systems were used: a single-stranded RNA probe for the detection of measles virus nucleocapsid genome in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis brain tissue, and a double stranded DNA probe for chicken anaemia virus in thymus of chicken infected with the virus. Microwaving, when used as sole pretreatment, was not as effective as the more traditional enzyme pretreatments forin situ hybridization. However, when used in combination with existing pretreatments, a significant increase was found in hybridization signal in both brain and thymus tissue. This was emphasized when combination enzyme/microwave pretreatments were used prior to detection of measles virus byin situ hybridization in a series of five archival subacute sclerosing panencephalitis cases. The use of microwave irradiation would be recommended as a means of supplementingin situ hybridization methods, especially when using long-term formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue.

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  1. Neuropathology Laboratory, Royal Group of Hospitals and Queen's University, Grosvenor Road, BT12 6BA, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK

    J. McMahon & S. McQuaid

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  1. J. McMahon
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  2. S. McQuaid
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McMahon, J., McQuaid, S. The use of microwave irradiation as a pretreatment toin situ hybridization for the detection of measles virus and chicken anaemia virus in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. Histochem J 28, 157–164 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02331439

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02331439

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