RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Xylene is used as a clearing agent in hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) staining of tissue sections in routine histopathology based diagnosis. However, the hazards associated with exposure to xylene are of concern. Numerous solutions mainly essential oils have been evaluated in the past as clearing agents, which can possibly be substituted for xylene during the routine tissue processing. AIM: The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of essential oil (cedarwood oil), as a possible replacement for xylene in H and E staining procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out in the Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology. Thirty paraffin blocks of the routine biopsy specimen were retrieved from the department archives. The cedarwood oil was procured from organic and essential oil dealer in the local market. Two to three paraffin sections of four micron thickness were cut from each of the 30 paraffin blocks of processed tissue specimens, were subjected to different clearing agents: Essential oil (8% cedarwood oil) or xylene and stained with H and E stain. The stained sections were scored based on nuclear and cytoplasmic details, clarity and uniformity of staining. RESULTS: Significant correlation was observed between cedarwood oil and xylene in terms of the three staining quality parameters assessed. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that cedarwood oil can be an effective, eco-friendly and safe alternative to xylene as a clearing agent in the histopathological laboratory.
RESUMO
Context. Sampling blood for serum analysis is an invasive procedure. A noninvasive alternative would be beneficial to patients and health care professionals. Aim. To correlate serum and salivary creatinine levels and evaluate the role of saliva as a noninvasive alternative to serum for creatinine estimation in chronic kidney disease patients. Study Design. Case-control study. Methods. Blood and saliva samples were collected from 37 healthy individuals and 105 chronic kidney disease patients. Serum and salivary creatinine levels were estimated using automatic analyser. Statistical Analysis. The serum and salivary creatinine levels between controls and cases were compared using t-test. Correlation between serum and salivary creatinine was obtained in controls and cases using Pearson correlation coefficient. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was done to assess the diagnostic performance of salivary creatinine. Cut-off values were established for salivary creatinine. Results. Serum and salivary creatinine levels were significantly higher in CKD patients than controls. The correlation was negative in controls and positive in cases. Area under the curve for salivary creatinine was found to be 0.967. A cut-off value of 0.2 mg/dL gave a sensitivity of 97.1% and specificity of 86.5%. Conclusion. Saliva can be used as a noninvasive alternative to serum for creatinine estimation.
