Post by Laura Taylor

🔬AB/PAS (Alcian Blue, Periodic Acid Schiff) is a stain used for identifying mucins 🔬Mucins are high molecular weight glycoproteins that are found dispersed throughout the epithelia of the gastrointestinal, respiratory and reproductive tract. From a histochemical view, mucins can be "acid" or "neutral" 🔬Acid mucins show up blue with the Alcian Blue stain. PAS detects neutral mucins bright magenta 🔬Barrett's oesophagus is a condition in which the oesopahgeal lining becomes damaged by acid reflux, causeing the lining to thicken and become red. These cells are usually flat squamous cells. During Barrett's the cells become more columnar like the cells in the bowel lining 🔬In Barret's the epithelium also contains goblet cells, which are identified by the AB/PAS staining of acid mucins in them, and their barrel appearance 🔬 The risks of developing Barret's are a history of acid reflux and having lots of abdominal fat. It does slightly increase your risk of developing oesopahgeal cancer. Treatment comes in the form of reducing symptoms such as the acid reflux, and controlling the dysplastic cells, as well as reducing the amount of acid the stomach produces #SciComm #Pathology