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Tissue Prior to the Initial Hematoxylin-Eosin Section Demonstrates Value as an Alternative Source of DNA for
Peter Sabatini1,2, Robert Ta2, Melanie Peralta1
1From Genome Diagnostics (Sabatini, Stockley), Pathology Research Program Laboratory (Peralta), Laboratory Medicine Program (Anderson, Khan), Michener Institute of Education (Belcastro), Leukemia Tissue Bank (Arruda, Minden), Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (Minden, Prica, Kridel), Anatomical Pathology (Cabanero), Advanced Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (Zhang, Stockley), Hematopathology and Transfusion Medicine (Xia), University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Context.—:
Small biopsies are used for histologic, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic, molecular genetic, and other ancillary studies. Occasionally, this diagnostic tissue is exhausted before molecular testing can be performed.
Objective.—:
To investigate a simple banking protocol for currently discarded tissues trimmed off prior to the initial hematoxylin-eosin section, as an alternative source of DNA for molecular studies.
Design.—:
Mock biopsies of lung adenocarcinomas, benign testes, and B-cell lymphomas were constructed from biobank blocks; these simulated biopsies were assessed via epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) p.L858R droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Biomed B-cell clonality testing by PCR, or a custom next-generation sequencing panel for lymphomas. For each cancer mock biopsy, DNA amounts and molecular test results from the "trimmings" samples were compared to data from corresponding molecular samples acquired via a "standard" clinical protocol.
Results.—:
The data show that although trimmings samples usually contained less DNA than standard samples, both sample classes generally had sufficient DNA for testing and produced essentially identical molecular results. A single sample showed low-level carryover contamination on droplet digital PCR testing.
Conclusions.—:
Tissue trimmings banked by using the studied protocol demonstrated value as a potential alternative sample for molecular testing.
