Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining |
General staining |
Cell nuclei, cartilage, bacteria, undecalcified and calcified parts: Indigo blue (hematoxylin).
Cytoplasm, connective tissues, muscular tissues, red blood cells: Various colors of deep red to red (eosin) |
Basic staining for all staining techniques |
Elastica van Gieson staining |
Staining of connective tissues |
Collagen fiber |
Collagen fiber: Red (acid fuchsin). Muscular fiber, red blood cells, cytoplasm: Yellow (picric acid).
Nuclei: Blackish brown (Weigert’s iron hematoxylin). Elastic fiber: Purple-black. |
The van Gieson staining alone is also used. |
Azan staining |
Collagen fiber, reticular fibers, renal glomeruli, renal tubular basement membrane, mucus,
cartilage: Blue (aniline blue). Nuclei, cytoplasm, muscular tissues, fibrin: Red to deep red (azocarmine G).
Red blood cells: Red to red-orange (azocarmine G, orange G) |
Acid fuchsin staining can also be used. |
Masson’s trichrome staining |
Nuclei: Blackish brown (Weigert’s iron hematoxylin). Depending on stains used, different results are obtained. |
Various modified methods are available. |
Resorcin-fuchsin staining |
Elastic fiber |
Elastic fiber: Purple-black |
This is a representative technique of staining and also used for double staining with van Gieson staining. |
Orcein staining |
Elastic fiber, HBs antigen: Dark reddish-brown |
This is also used as HBs antigen staining. |
Silver staining (silver impregnation) |
Reticular fibers |
Argyrophilic fibers (reticular fibers): Black Collagen fiber: Red-purple |
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Phosphotungstic acidhematoxylin (PTAH) staining |
Fibrin, glia tissues |
Stripes in the striated muscles, fibrin, nuclei: Indigo blue Neuroglia cells, neuroglia fiber: Dark reddish-brown |
Stripes in the striated muscles are stained. |
Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction |
Polysaccharide staining |
Glycogen |
Glycogen: Red to red-purple. Nuclei: Indigo blue (hematoxylin) |
Mucus, mast cell granules, amebas, and fungi are also stained.
PAS reaction is used for various kinds of staining.
Glycogen is confirmed by diastase digestion test using saliva, and it can also be fixed with alcohol. |
Alcian blue staining |
Acid mucopolysaccharide |
Acid mucopolysaccharide: Blue. Nuclei: Red (Kernechtrot) |
This is also used for double staining with PAS. |
Mucicarmine staining |
Mucus |
Mucus: Red. Nuclei: Indigo blue (hematoxylin) |
Epithelial mucus is well stained. |
Toluidine blue staining |
Mucus, mast cell granules, cartilage matrix: Red-purple. Nuclei: Blue |
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Congo red staining |
Amyloid staining |
Amyloid: Red-orange. Nuclei: Indigo blue (hematoxylin) |
Permanganic acid treatment can differentiate amyloid. |
Dylon (direct fast scarlet) staining |
Amyloid: Orange. Nuclei: Indigo blue (hematoxylin) |
Grimelius (argyrophil) staining |
Differential staining of endocrine cells |
Argyrophilic cells in the digestive tract, argyrophilic cells in the pituitary gland, carcinoid,
A-cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, endocrine tumor cells: Blackish brown |
Bouin fixation is also available. |
Fontana-Masson staining |
Argentaffin cells in the digestive tract, argentaffin carcinoid, melanocyte: Blackish brown |
This is also used to confirm evidence of melanocytes. |
Kossa staining |
Staining of inorganic substances in tissues |
Calcium |
Calcium deposits: Blackish brown |
Avoid using a noble metal-containing fixative solution. |
Berlin blue staining |
Iron |
Hemosiderin: Blue. Background: Pink (Kernechtrot) |
Hemosiderin accounts for most part of the substances to be stained. |
Rubeanic acid staining |
Copper staining |
Copper: Black-green |
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Loeffler’s methylene blue staining |
Staining of pathogenic microorganisms in tissues |
Common bacteria |
Simple staining |
Bacteria: Deep blue. Nuclei, background: Light blue |
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Hucker-Conn gram staining |
Gram staining |
Gram-positive bacteria: Deep blue Gram-negative bacteria: Red |
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Ziehl-Neelsen method of acidfast bacteria staining |
Acid-fast bacteria staining |
Acid-fast bacteria: Red. Background: Light blue (methylene blue) |
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Grocott staining |
Fungi |
Fungi: Black. Background: Green (light green) |
Glycogen and mucus are also stained black. |
Orcein staining |
HBs antigen |
HBs antigen, elastic fiber: Dark reddish-brown |
HBs antigen is diffusely stained in intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies or cells. |
Victoria blue staining |
HBs antigen, elastic fiber: Blue |
This is also used for elastic fiber staining. |
Luxol fast blue staining (Klüver-Barrera staining) |
Staining of the central nervous tissue |
Double staining of medullary sheath and Nissl body |
Medullary sheath: Blue-green Nissl body, nuclei: Purple |
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Simple staining of Nissl body |
Nissl body: Purple |
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Periodic acid-methenamine silver (PAM) staining |
Staining of the kidney |
Renal glomerular basement membrane, reticular fibers: Black |
This is also used for many purposes as well as for the kidney. Bouin fixation is also available. |
Giemsa staining |
Staining of blood cells in tissues |
Nuclei: red-purple. Nucleoli: Red. Eosinophilic granules: Pink purple Basophilic granules: Blue-purple to blue |
Helicobacter pylori is also stained. Helicobacter pylori: Blue-purple |
Naphthol AS-D chloroacetate esterase staining |
Leukemic cell differentiation,
monocyte differentiation, FAB classification |
Myelocytes: Blue granules |
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