Table 1 Influence of Fixation Time and Temperature on μPA Immunoperoxidase Staining of Paraffin-Embedded Specimens from Human Ductal Breast Cancer Tissuea

From: Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Is Localized in Stromal Cells in Ductal Breast Cancer

Time (h)

Relative staining intensitiesb (number of specimens)

 

4° Cc

Room temperaturec

1

3+ (8)d

3+ (4)

8

3+ (2)

1+ (2)

24–32

0 (2)

0 (8)

  1. μPA, urokinase plasminogen activator.
  2. aSpecimens were formalin fixed for 1, 8, or 24–32 h at 4° C or room temperature, paraffin embedded, and then stained with polyclonal anti-uPA IgG (pAb2, 5 μg/ml). Relative staining intensities were scored as specified in “Material and Methods.” Specimens fixed for 1 and 8 h at 4° C, and 1 h at room temperature, had an almost equal intensity, whereas the specimens fixed for 24–32 h at either temperature showed little or no staining (see also Fig. 5).
  3. 3+ = strong, 2+ = moderate, 1+ = weak, 0 = no or only occasional staining.
  4. Fixation temperatures.
  5. Defined as 3+.
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