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A New Method for the Sputum Cytology Test Without Direct Contact to Specimens During COVID-19 Pandemic
Junqi Cui1, Xia Wang2, Yamin Rao1
1Department of Pathology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Insights
A new sputum cytology method using 75% alcohol pretreatment protects medical staff during COVID-19. This technique maintains cell morphology and antigen expression for accurate lung cancer diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Pathology
- Cytology
- Oncology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic heightened infection risks for pathology labs handling patient specimens.
- Hospitals with limited protective capabilities faced increased challenges in safely processing samples.
- A novel, simplified sputum cytology test was developed to mitigate risks during the pandemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a safe and effective sputum cytology testing method during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To evaluate the impact of 75% medical alcohol pretreatment on sputum cytology specimen integrity.
- To ensure accurate diagnostic results while minimizing direct contact for medical personnel.
Main Methods:
- Sputum samples from 30 lung cancer patients were divided into control and experimental groups.
- The experimental group's samples were directly placed in sealed bags and pretreated with 75% medical alcohol.
- Cell morphology, tumor cell identification, and antigen expression (CK, LCA, TTF1) were analyzed using cell smears, liquid-based staining, and immunohistochemistry.
Main Results:
- Both control and pretreated sputum samples showed complete cell structure and clear morphology.
- Immunohistochemical staining confirmed specific antigen expression (CK, LCA, TTF1) in cell membranes, cytoplasm, and nuclei.
- Pretreatment with 75% alcohol did not affect the diffuse distribution of tumor cells or the accurate localization of cell antigens.
Conclusions:
- Pretreatment of sputum specimens with 75% medical alcohol does not adversely affect cell morphology or antigen expression.
- This study presents a new, no-direct-contact method for sputum cytology testing.
- The developed method enhances medical staff safety during the COVID-19 outbreak by reducing exposure risk.
Background:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread across the world. Specimens of blood, body fluids and excreta received in the department of pathology undoubtedly increased the risk of infection, especially in some hospitals that are short of professional protection capability. Here we provided a new simple way for the sputum cytology test during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods:
Sputum samples from 30 patients with lung cancer were collected and divided into two groups, including the control group and the experimental group. Samples of the control group were processed in the biological safety cabinet, while the experimental group was put into the sealed specimen bag directly and pretreated with 75% medical alcohol. Then the cell morphology and tumor cell identification were analyzed by cell smears and liquid-based cell staining. The expression of cell antigens was determined by immunohistochemical staining.
Result:
Our result showed that both sputum samples in two groups exhibited complete cell structure and clear morphology according to the cell smear and liquid-based cell staining. In addition, the immunohistochemical result showed that cell antigens, including cytokeratin (CK), leukocyte common antigen (LCA), and thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF1), were specifically expressed in the cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus, respectively. The tumor cells were distributed diffusely, and cell antigens were located accurately after pretreatment with 75% medical alcohol and were consistent with that of the control group.
Conclusion:
Using 75% medical alcohol to pretreat sputum specimens has no obvious impact on cell morphology and antigens expression. Our study provided a new method for the sputum cytology test with no direct contact so as to protect medical staff against the virus during COVID-19 outbreak.
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