Figure 1

DNA of varying quality from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. DNA extracted from tissue blocks is often degraded and chemically modified to varying degrees due to differences in fixation method and time, storage conditions, and nature of the tissue. Diagnostic treatments such as fixation with Bouin's (samples 9–11) or acid decalcification (sample 12) can result in severely degraded template unusable for PCR. Little (sample 1) or moderately (sample 2–8) degraded templates can be used for PCR although additional input DNA may be necessary for robust PCR. To ensure that blocks with degraded DNA were not used in labour-intensive microdissection, DNA from whole sections was extracted and qualified on a 2% agarose gel prior to microdissection of additional sections. Blocks yielding highly degraded DNA were not used in this study.