American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Histotechnologist Practice Test

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What is the primary function of PAS with diastase digestion in histology?

Demonstrate lipids
Identify collagen fibers
Demonstrate glycogen
Highlight nuclear material

The correct answer is: Demonstrate glycogen

The primary function of PAS (Periodic Acid-Schiff) staining combined with diastase digestion is to demonstrate glycogen in tissue specimens. The PAS reaction highlights polysaccharides by oxidizing them to form aldehydes, which then react with the Schiff reagent to produce a magenta-colored complex. Diastase digestion is applied after the PAS staining to break down glycogen into smaller glucose units, effectively masking its presence. If glycogen is present in the tissue, the magenta color will disappear after digestion, while other PAS-reactive substances, such as mucosubstances, will remain intact and retain their color. This specificity is crucial when assessing tissue samples because it allows pathologists to differentiate between the presence of glycogen and other entities that may also stain positively with PAS. Hence, the combination of PAS with diastase digestion is an established method for confirming the presence of glycogen in histological specimens.