Dataset Information

Multiple immunofluorescence labelling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Investigating the expression of candidate genes in tissue samples usually involves either immunohistochemical labelling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sections or immunofluorescence labelling of cryosections. Although both of these methods provide essential data, both have important limitations as research tools. Consequently, there is a demand in the research community to be able to perform routine, high quality immunofluorescence labelling of FFPE tissues.

Results

We present here a robust optimised method for high resolution immunofluorescence labelling of FFPE tissues, which involves the combination of antigen retrieval, indirect immunofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy. We demonstrate the utility of this method with examples of immunofluorescence labelling of human kidney, human breast and a tissue microarray of invasive human breast cancers. Finally, we demonstrate that stained slides can be stored in the short term at 4 degrees C or in the longer term at -20 degrees C prior to images being collected. This approach has the potential to unlock a large in vivo database for immunofluorescence investigations and has the major advantages over immunohistochemistry in that it provides higher resolution imaging of antigen localization and the ability to label multiple antigens simultaneously.

Conclusion

This method provides a link between the cell biology and pathology communities. For the cell biologist, it will enable them to utilise the vast archive of pathology specimens to advance their in vitro data into in vivo samples, in particular archival material and tissue microarrays. For the pathologist, it will enable them to utilise multiple antibodies on a single section to characterise particular cell populations or to test multiple biomarkers in limited samples and define with greater accuracy cellular heterogeneity in tissue samples.

SUBMITTER: Robertson D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2288605 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Multiple immunofluorescence labelling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue.

Robertson David D Savage Kay K Reis-Filho Jorge S JS Isacke Clare M CM

BMC cell biology 20080319

<h4>Background</h4>Investigating the expression of candidate genes in tissue samples usually involves either immunohistochemical labelling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sections or immunofluorescence labelling of cryosections. Although both of these methods provide essential data, both have important limitations as research tools. Consequently, there is a demand in the research community to be able to perform routine, high quality immunofluorescence labelling of FFPE tissues.<h4>Res ...[more]

PMID: 18366689

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Project description:We present a new concept, termed tissue lithography (TL), and its implementation which enables retrospective studies on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Tissue lithography uses a microfluidic probe to remove microscale areas of the paraffin layer on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy samples. Current practices in sample utilization for research and diagnostics require complete deparaffinization of the sample prior to molecular testing. This imposes strong limitations in terms of the number of tests as well as the time when they can be performed on a single sample. Microscale dewaxing lifts these constraints by permitting deprotection of a fraction of a tissue for testing while keeping the remaining of the sample intact for future analysis. After testing, the sample can be sent back to storage instead of being discarded, as is done in standard workflows. We achieve this microscale dewaxing by hydrodynamically confining nanoliter volumes of xylene on top of the sample with a probe head. We demonstrate micrometer-scale, chromogenic and fluorescence-based immunohistochemistry against multiple biomarkers (p53, CD45, HER2 and β-actin) on tonsil and breast tissue sections and microarrays. We achieve stain patterns as small as 100 μm × 50 μm as well as multiplexed immunostaining within a single tissue microarray core with a 20-fold time reduction for local dewaxing as compared to standard protocols. We also demonstrate a 10-fold reduction in the rehydration time, leading to lower processing times between different stains. We further show the potential of TL for retrospective studies by sequentially dewaxing and staining four individual cores within the same tissue microarray over four consecutive days. By combining tissue lithography with the concept of micro-immunohistochemistry, we implement each step of the IHC protocol-dewaxing, rehydration and staining-with the same microfluidic probe head. Tissue lithography brings a new level of versatility and flexibility in sample processing and budgeting in biobanks, which may alleviate current sample limitations for retrospective studies in biomarker discovery and drug screening.

Project description:BackgroundArchived tissues from previously completed prospective trials represent invaluable resource for biomarker development. However, such specimens are often stored as sections on glass slides, in which RNA is severely degraded due to prolonged air exposure. We evaluated whether a proportion of archived sectioned formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (AS-FFPE) tissues yield transcriptome profiles comparable to freshly cut (FC) FFPE tissues, which can be used for retrospective class prediction analysis.MethodsGenome-wide transcriptome profiles of 6 to 7-year-old AS-FFPE tissue sections (generated from 5 to 16-year-old blocks) of 83 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 47 liver cirrhosis samples were generated by using whole-genome DASL assay (Illumina) and digital transcript counting (nCounter) assay (NanoString), and gene signature-based prediction of HCC subclasses and prognosis was compared with previously generated FC-FFPE profiles from the same tissue blocks.ResultsRNA quality and assay reproducibility of AS-FFPE RNA were comparable to intermediate to poor quality FC-FFPE samples (RNA Integrity Number: up to 2.50, R-square for technical replicates: up to 0.93). Analyzable transcriptome profiles were obtained in 64 (77%) HCC and 36 (77%) cirrhosis samples. Statistically more confident predictions based on random resampling-based method (nearest template prediction) were obtained in 37 (58%) HCC and 13 (36%) cirrhosis samples. Predictions made in FC-FFPE profiles were reproduced in 36 (97%) HCC and 11 (85%) cirrhosis AS-FFPE profiles. nCounter assay was tested in 24 cirrhosis samples, which yielded confident prediction in 15 samples (63%), of which 10 samples (67%) showed concordant predictions with FC-FFPE profiles.ConclusionsAS-FFPE tissues yielded poorer quality RNA and transcriptome profiles compared to FC-FFPE tissues. Statistically more confident class prediction was feasible in 37 of 83 HCC samples and 13 of 47 cirrhosis samples. These results suggest that AS-FFPE tissues can be regarded as a resource for retrospective transcriptome-based class prediction analysis when they are the only available materials.

Project description:This study was performed to evaluated RNA extraction and gene expression analysis of FFPE specimen stored for more than 20 years. Using long time stored FFPE material; large retrospective studies correlating molecular features with therapeutic response and clinical outcome, can be performed. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to evaluate RNA extraction methods and to compare gene expression profiles of FFPE and fresh frozen (FF) tissue. Extracted RNA was subsequently subjected to microarray analysis and compared to qPCR data. The Ambion RecoverAll kit appears to be particularly suited for RNA extraction of long time stored FFPE tissues. Gene expression analysis using Affymetrix platform displayed a high degree of correlation for endogenous control genes comparing FF and FFPE tissues. We conclude that high quality gene expression signatures can be recognized using Affymetrix gene expression platform on FFPE tissue stored for more than 20 years. However, a general interpretation must be done with caution as different FFPE procedures have varying effects on RNA quality. Three RNA extraction methods from Roche (Basel, Switzerland), Ambion (Austin, TX, USA) and Qiagen (Hilden, Germany), designed for FFPE material was used. The methods were compared using qPCR. For the qPCR analysis, two different concentrations of input cDNA were used (20ng and 100ng) and 32 human endogenous control genes were examined. RNA from the Ambion FFPE kit was further analyzed by using microarray. Amplification of RNA prior to microarray analysis was performed using Nugen technologies (San Carlos, CA, USA). Nugen has developed amplification kits both for FFPE and FF materials: WT- ovation FFPE RNA amplification System V2 (Nugen FFPE), Ovation FF RNA Amplification System V2 (Nugen V2 FF) and Ovation FF Pico RNA Amplification System (Nugen PICO FF). The Nugen FFPE kit, designed for FFPE material was only used for FFPE tissue. The Nugen Pico FF kit, designed to target small amounts of FF RNA (>500 pg) and the Nugen V2 FF kit designed to target total FF RNA, were only used for FF tissue. Affymetrix standard amplification protocol (Affy FF) designed for FF RNA was also included as the standard method for amplification.

Project description:The ability to accurately quantify proteins in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues using targeted mass spectrometry opens exciting perspectives for biomarker discovery. We have developed and evaluated a selectedreaction monitoring assay for the human receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-2 (HER2) in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast tumors. Peptide candidates were identified using an untargeted mass spectrometry approach in relevant cell lines. A multiplexed assay was developed for the six best candidate peptides and evaluated for linearity, precision and lower limit of quantification. Results showed a linear response over a calibration range of 0.012 to 100 fmol on column (R(2): 0.99-1.00).The lower limit of quantification was 0.155 fmol on column for all peptides evaluated. The six HER2 peptides were quantified by selected reaction monitoring in a cohort of 40 archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissues from women with invasive breast carcinomas, which showed different levels of HER2 gene amplification as assessed by standard methods used in clinical pathology. The amounts of the six HER2 peptides were highly and significantly correlated with each other, indicating that peptide levels can be used as surrogates of protein amounts in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. After normalization for sample size, selected reaction monitoring peptide measurements were able to correctly predict 90% of cases based on HER2 amplification as defined by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and College of American Pathologists. In conclusion, the developed assay showed good analytical performance and a high agreement with immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization data. This study demonstrated that selected reaction monitoring allows to accurately quantify protein expression in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues and represents therefore a powerful approach for biomarker discovery studies. The untargeted mass spectrometry data is available via ProteomeXchange whereas the quantification data by selected reaction monitoring is available on the Panorama Public website.

Dataset Information

Multiple immunofluorescence labelling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue.

Background

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Multiple immunofluorescence labelling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue.

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