A simple method for PCR based analyses of immunohistochemically stained, microdissected, formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded material

Microdissection was performed on sections cut from formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded archival material, which had been subjected to conventional i mmunohistochemistry. Crude DNA extracts, which were obtained from these mic rodissected samples by a simple microwave step, were then added directly to amplification reactions. Analyses using a range of polymerase chain reacti on (PCR) based techniques, including microsatellite repeat polymorphism ana lysis at the NM23-H1 locus and sequencing of exons 5, 7, and 8 of the p53 g ene, were performed successfully Universal PCR amplification was also carri ed out on the microdissected material and probes suitable for use in compar ative genomic hybridisation (CGH) were obtained in all cases. This techniqu e will enable a range of effective genetic analyses to be carried out on sp ecific subsets of cells that have been characterised previously by immunohi stochemistry.