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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Optical Photothermal Infrared-Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (OPTIR-FISH)
Published on: February 23, 2024
Fluorescent in situ hybridization heating pretreatment: the key is temperature control
Marta Tojo1, Elena Couso, Angel Vázquez-Boquete
1Service of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Abstract:
Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) is a very useful tool for diagnostic and prognostic purposes in pathology. However, many laboratories still experience troubles when applying FISH to paraffin material. To overcome these difficulties, different pretreatments which include enzymatic digestion have been described. Usually, previous to digestion, a heating step is performed. The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of the heating step with different buffers and different heating methods. We conclude that the main factor in the heating pretreatment is the temperature control, irrespective of the buffer used. Best results are obtained with any buffer by heating the slides to 99°C for 15 min followed by 10 min at room temperature.
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