PERL'S STAINING, 200 mL

PRINCIPLE

The detection of iron using the Perls’ reaction was described in 1867. It is based on releasing ferric ions from their bond with proteins using hydrochloric acid, which produces a greenish blue precipitate of ferric ferrocyanide when it reacts with potassium ferrocyanide. This reaction only detects deposits of ferric iron, which are insoluble in water (haemosiderin), and not the hydrosoluble ferritin.

The study of medullary iron deposited as haemosiderin in macrophages and in erythroblasts has great value in the analysis of anaemia, if this is complemented with the determination of iron, the fixation capacity of transferrin and the saturation index.

The dye, Nuclear Fast Red, is used to stain the nuclei.