Cancer Diagnosis Program | Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research Branch

Search BRD Papers

Effects of formalin fixation, paraffin embedding, and time of storage on DNA preservation in brain tissue: a BrainNet Europe study.

Author(s): Ferrer I, Armstrong J, Capellari S, Parchi P, Arzberger T, Bell J, Budka H, Ströbel T, Giaccone G, Rossi G, Bogdanovic N, Fakai P, Schmitt A, Riederers P, Al-Sarraj S, Ravid R, Kretzschmar H

Publication: Brain Pathol, 2007, Vol. 17, Page 297-303

PubMed ID: 17465988 PubMed Review Paper? No

Purpose of Paper

Conclusion of Paper

Studies

1. Study Purpose

   The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of preservation type, paraffin embedding and storage duration on the suitability of brain specimens for DNA studies.

   Summary of Findings:

   The authors report that DNA suitable for analysis was obtained from specimens stored frozen for up to 20 years at -80 degrees C, fixed in 4% buffered formalin for up to 2 months prior to embedding and storage for 2-6 years, or fixed in 4% buffered formalin for up to 1 year. In contrast, SNP analysis was not possible in the specimen fixed in 4% buffered formalin for 13 weeks prior to embedding. Further, only 1 of 6 specimens stored in 4% buffered formalin for 2-6 years allowed for identification of point mutations and none of these specimens allowed for identification of triplet expansion. Specimens fixed in 10% unbuffered formalin for 6-10 months or 10% unbuffered formalin for 10-20 years at room temperature did not yield suitable DNA. DNA extraction and amplification from formalin-fixed specimens was most successful when the QIAmp micro kit was used instead of the GenomiPhi or TaKaRa kits.

   Biospecimens

   • Tissue - Brain

   Preservative Types

   • Formalin
   • Frozen

   Diagnoses:

   • Autopsy
   • Cardiovascular Disease
   • Alzheimer's Disease
   • Other diagnoses

   Platform:

   Analyte	Technology Platform
   DNA	SNP assay
   DNA	Electrophoresis
   DNA	Spectrophotometry

   Pre-analytical Factors:

   Classification	Pre-analytical Factor	Value(s)
   Biospecimen Preservation	Type of fixation/preservation	Formalin (buffered) Formalin (unbuffered) Snap frozen
   Storage	Storage temperature	4 degrees C Room temperature -80 degrees C
   Storage	Storage duration	2-6 years 3-6 years 20 years
   Biospecimen Preservation	Time in fixative	1 month 4-6 weeks 3-6 months 6-10 months 1 year 2-6 years 3-6 years <10 years 10-20 years 30-35 years
   Analyte Extraction and Purification	Analyte isolation method	QIAmp GenomiPhi TaKaRa

   View more