Preservation of specific fluorescence by sealing with nail polish

Semipermanent mounting media and postfixation of immunofluorescence (IF) slides in alcohol have been effective in preserving specific fluorescence (SF). In the present study the efficacy of such mounting was compared with a simpler technique of sealing the routinely mounted IF slides with nail polish. Frozen sections of skin lesions of systemic lupus erythematosus and lichen planus, and patients' sera known to have pemphigus or pemphigoid antibodies were used for IF procedures. SF was equally detectable with both techniques for over 8 months. Control slides similarly processed but not sealed lost most of their SF within a few weeks.