Processing fine needle aspirates of prostate carcinomas for standard immunocytochemical studies and in situ apoptosis...

A method is described for making permanent histological sections of prostate carcinoma material obtained by fine needle aspiration (FNA) under ecography guidance. Smears made from prostate aspirates were used for diagnosis and from the same patient remaining aspirates were expelled into fixative filled microcentrifuge tube. Aspirates were pelleted and further processed to paraffin blocks. Permanent histological sections were obtained and each section was defined as satisfactory when it contained about 200 intact tumor cells. We have used these tumor sections and immunocytochemistry (ICC) procedures to study molecular biological marker expression. The technique described here has proven to be easy to use and offered a fast, reliable and cost-effective method to obtain suitable samples for standard ICC and in situ apoptosis detection from FNA prostate carcinoma. The method should be equally suitable for outpatient use on other tumors in which FNA and ICC or in situ apoptosis detection is likely to be helpful.