Excellent durability for direct immunofluorescence slides

(HealthDay)—Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) slides are durable when kept at room temperature for five years, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology.

Amira Elbendary, M.B.B.Ch., from the Ackerman Academy of Dermatopathology in New York City, and colleagues examined the durability of DIF slides stored at room temperature for five years. The study included 83 DIF slides archived at room temperature during 2010. The authors compared the pattern of immunoreactants with that noted in the original report.

The researchers found that loss of reactivity was limited to cases which exhibited weak fluorescence at the time of original diagnosis. Loss of immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgA, C3, and IgM occurred in 12.5, 12, 10, and 9.75 percent of cases, respectively. There was no loss of reactivity for fibrin. Immunofluorescence was not related to deposition site. A reliable diagnosis could be made in 94.9 percent of archived cases.

"Our data suggest that with appropriate laboratory methods DIF slides kept at room temperature for five years showed excellent durability, allowing them to be archived for research, teaching, and patient care," the authors write.