In Anticipation of a Noninvasive Immunodiagnostic Strategy for Confirmation of Sulfur Mustard Skin Exposure: The Technique for Skin Tape- Stripping

摘要

Continuing efforts to develop a fieldable noninvasive immunodiagnostic strategy confirmatory for sulfur mustard (HD) skin exposure have led to exploring the potential of stratum corneum tape-stripping to eventually visualize HD-induced keratin adducts on the tape before the onset of the vesication phase of HD pathology. In preliminary experiments summarized here, selected tapes with adhered stripped cells were tested in laboratory- based study for nonspecific staining fidelity, cellular adhesion, microscopic clarity and as proof of concept for eventual in-the-field diagnostic applications. Three tapes were tested in these experiments: two double-sided optically clear nonallergenic industrial tapes identified as Y and Z and medical adhesive grade double-sided clear tape identified as A. Tapes with adherent cells were subjected to three nonspecific staining procedures derived from epoxy-embedded electron microscopy practices (methylene blue, basic fuchsin and azure II) and three established cellular permeabilization pretreatments (100% acetone, 100% methanol, Triton X-100). Staining, handling and storage trials resulted in the selection of tape Y with 100% methanol and 1% Triton X-100 pretreatment as the skin tape and permeabilization methods of choice respectively for advancement to the immunodiagnostic study of HD- adducted keratin on the tape.