Korean J Pathol.  1993 Jun;27(3):243-248.

Comparative Assessment of Immunohistochemical and Zieh1-Neelsen Stains for Demonstration of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

• Cho MY
• Jung SH
• Yang WI

Abstract

To obtain a useful method for the identification of mycobacteria in tissue section, we evaluated 118 cases of tuberculosis: 48 pulm onary, 14 lymph nodal and 56 synovial tuberculosis. Seventy nine of these cases underwent the culture study. Sections stained with anti-Mycobacterium bovis were compared with the results of the Zieh1-Neelsen stain and culture. The immunohistochemical stain for Mycobacterium bovis in al examined cases was not any more sensitive than the Zieh1-Neelsen stain(p>0.05). Neverthless, the immunohistochemical stain was a useful method for the localization of mycobacteria because of the striking contrast between its background and the wider dimension of a positive area. Immunoreactive areas demonstrated a few intact mycobacteria showing a positive reaction in the Zieh1-Neelsen stain. In conclusion, double staining method using the immunohischemical stain for Mycobacterium bovis and the Zieh1-Neelsen stain is an efficient technique in oder to confirm the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Keyword

Tuberculosis; Immunohistochemical stain; Mycobacterium bovis; Ziehl-Neelsen stain