Construction of metastatic spinal cancer tissue microarrays

ObjectiveTo explore the construction of metastatic spinal cancer (MSC) tissue microarrays and validate its value in immunohistochemical study of MSC.MethodsParaffin-embedded specimens from 71 MSC cases and 6 primary tumor cases were selected as donor blocks and prepared into MSC tissue microarrays by tissue array arrangement, the steps of which included location, punching, sampling, sample seeding, and re-diagnosis by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) as well as MMP-9 and MMP-14 immunohistochemical staining.ResultsThe MSC tissue microarrays thus constructed were intact and crackless, containing 154 complete and well arranged microarray points. None of the sectioned tissue microarrays was lost, and the results of HE staining was consistent with the primary pathologic diagnoses. Immunohistochemical staining was also good without non-specific or marginal effect.ConclusionThe MSC tissue microarrays have a high value in the immunohistochemical study of MSC.