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. 2021 Feb 18;80(6):714–726. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-219247

Table 4.

Safranin O and TB staining procedure

Safranin O staining
Reagents:
1% HCl in 70% ethanol
1% acetic acid in water
Weigert’s iron haematoxylin working solution
0.1% fast green in distilled water
0.1% safranin in distilled water
Staining procedure (at room temperature): Time
Incubate with Weigert‘s haematoxylin working solution 5 min
Differentiate in 1%HCl/70%ethanol (under gentle shaking) 5 s
Rinse in running tap water 15 s
Incubate in 0.1% safranin O 30 s to 1 min
Rinse in 1% acetic acid 15 s
Rinse in running tap water 15 s
Incubate with fast green 0,1% 5–7 min
Rinse in 96% ethanol 15 s
Rinse in 100% ethanol until no colour can be removed up to 1 min
Incubate in xylene 5 min
Seal the slides in permanent mounting medium (eg, Eukitt)
TB staining
Reagents:
TB stock solution 10×: 1% TB O, 1% natriumtetraborate in water. Stock solution should be filtrated two times before use. 1× TB working solution is prepared in water.
Staining procedure (at room temperature): Time
Incubate in TB working solution (1×) 8–30 s
Rinse in distilled water 15 s
Rinse in 96% ethanol (metachromatic dye becomes visible) 10–20 s
Dehydrate in absolute ethanol 5 min
Incubate in xylene 5 min
Mount with permanent mounting medium (eg, Eukitt)

TB, toluidine blue.