Gene Analysis in Solid Tumors: In Situ Hybridization

Abstract

Although the hematoxylin and eosin stain continues to provide much information about cell morphology, more sophisticated histochemical and immunohistochemical stains are often necessary to provide further insights into cellular components. Even these stains, however, do not yield all the information to provide definitive diagnoses and understanding. The more recent approach, in situ hybridization, utilizes DNA and RNA for the most specific visualization of subcellular morphology and processes. We describe the principles of hybridization, methods, including tissue preparation, probes, and hybridization reactions, and fluorescence in situ hybridization, as well as applications of the methods to studies of breast, colon, and lung cancer. (The J Histotechnol 21:327–333, 1998)

Keywords:

• carcinoma
• DNA probes
• fluorescence in situ hybridization
• RNA probes