I'm trying to stain areas of dystrophic calcification in sections of FFPE perinatal brain tissue. Typical basophilic appearance on H&E but nothing with Alizarin Red (costochondral junction positive control works well). Tissue has been fixed in formalin with added glacial acetic acid. Is this likely to leach out the calcium resulting in a negative Alizarin Red, even though the material remains basophilic? I'm waiting for the von Kossa stain...and if the calcium IS leached out.. what's the basophilic material??
Thanks
Thank for your reply Matthew, I thought as much, although the material remains basophilic. As you know, when bone (normally basophilic when stained with H&E, is decalcified it loses its basophilia and becomes. eosinophilic.. this does not. Unfortunately, of necessity the tissue needs the added acid to allow sectioning.. it is VERY soft!..
The material is basophilic because it stains blue/purple with haematoxylin. It looks like the dystrophic calcification commonly seen in necrotic perinatal brain tissue. It is acellular and (predominantly) amorphous, It is not nuclear debris either nor is it melanin. It also has the same tinctorial characteristics as mineralized neurons (also seen in necrotic brain; see attached).
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