Canine bone marrow processing choices may shape IHC results
CURRENT BRIEF VERSION: Bone marrow core samples from dogs often need both fixation and demineralization before pathologists can assess morphology, run immunohistochemistry, or pursue molecular follow-up. A new Veterinary Pathology study examined how those preanalytic steps affect immunohistochemical assessment in canine bone marrow, building on the same group’s recent work showing that protocol choice can materially change downstream test performance. In related published data from the University of Guelph and UC Davis team, neutral-buffered formalin and acid-zinc-formalin produced similar marrow histomorphology, but EDTA demineralization preserved tissue quality better than formic acid or hydrochloric acid, and was far more compatible with downstream DNA amplification. That broader point also fits with other hard-tissue molecular workflows: separate work in deer antlers and prepared trophy skulls showed that EDTA-based digestion can yield DNA suitable for complete microsatellite genotyping from all tested samples, reinforcing EDTA’s value when molecular testing is part of the plan. The authors noted that fixation and demineralization practices for veterinary bone marrow aren’t standardized across diagnostic labs, which is exactly why these comparisons matter. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is a workflow story as much as a pathology story. If a marrow core may need immunophenotyping, clonality testing, or other ancillary assays after routine histology, the way the sample is fixed and decalcified can determine whether those tests remain interpretable. Prior results from the same research program support EDTA as the safer demineralization choice when preserving morphology and nucleic acids is important, even though it takes longer than acid decalcifiers. And while deer antler and trophy-skull DNA extraction is a different use case, it points in the same practical direction: EDTA-based processing can support strong DNA recovery from mineralized tissues when downstream genotyping matters. That aligns with broader pathology guidance that acid decalcification can compromise immunohistochemistry and molecular testing in bone marrow specimens. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
What to watch: Watch for whether diagnostic labs update marrow handling protocols toward EDTA-based demineralization and for follow-on data clarifying which canine marrow IHC markers are most sensitive to fixative and decalcifier choice. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)