Usefulness and Limitations of Cryopreservation for Immunocytochemical Staining of Canine Cytological Specimens for Detection of Cytokeratin and Vimentin

Abstract

Immunocytochemistry is an advanced diagnostic tool for identifying the origin of tumor cells. This study aimed to highlight the usefulness of cryopreserved, air-dried cytological samples in detecting cytokeratin and vimentin. Air-dried cytological smear samples were prepared from a total of 39 resected canine tumors and stored in a medical freezer without fixation. The duration of cryopreservation ranged from 2 to 56 months. The same tumors were processed for routine histopathological examination. Based on the morphological diagnosis, cryopreserved FNA smears from epithelial tumors were stained by enzymatic immunocytochemistry (ICC) for cytokeratin; those from mesenchymal and melanocytic tumors were stained by ICC for vimentin. To ascertain the positivity of tumor cells to the selected markers, tissue paraffin-embedded sections were also stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for the same markers. Immunoreactivity for cytokeratin was detected in cryopreserved cytological smears for a maximum of 46 months. Immunoreactivity for vimentin was clearly detected for 33 months. Smears stored at room temperature for 1 week did not show any signals under immunocytochemical examination. Thus, immunocytochemistry for cytokeratin and vimentin can be safely applied to air-dried smears cryopreserved in a freezer for at least 33 months.