Giemsa stain (/ˈɡiːmzə/), named after German chemist and bacteriologistGustav Giemsa, is anucleic acid stain used incytogenetics and for the histopathological diagnosis ofmalaria and otherparasites.[1]
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It is specific for thephosphate groups ofDNA and attaches itself to regions of DNA where there are high amounts ofadenine-thymine bonding. Giemsa stain is used in Giemsa banding, commonly calledG-banding, to stainchromosomes and often used to create akaryogram (chromosome map). It can identify chromosomal aberrations such astranslocations andrearrangements.[citation needed]
It stains thetrophozoiteTrichomonas vaginalis, which presents with greenish discharge and motile cells on wet prep.[citation needed]
Giemsa stain is also adifferential stain, such as when it is combined withWright stain to form Wright–Giemsa stain. It can be used to study the adherence ofpathogenic bacteria to human cells. It differentially stains human and bacterial cells purple and pink respectively. It can be used forhistopathological diagnosis of thePlasmodium species that causemalaria[2] and some otherspirochete andprotozoan blood parasites. It is also used to stainWolbachia cells in host tissue.[3]
Giemsa stain is a classicblood film stain forperipheral blood smears andbone marrow specimens.Erythrocytes stain pink,platelets show a light pale pink,lymphocytecytoplasm stains sky blue,monocyte cytoplasm stains pale blue, andleukocyte nuclearchromatin stains magenta. It is also used to visualize the classic "safety pin" shape inYersinia pestis.
Giemsa stain is also used to visualizechromosomes. This is particularly relevant for detection ofCytomegalovirus infection, where the classical finding would be an "owl-eye" viral inclusion.[4]
Giemsa stains the fungusHistoplasma,Chlamydia bacteria, and can be used to identifymast cells.[5]
Giemsa's solution is a mixture ofmethylene blue,eosin, andAzure B. The stain is usually prepared from commercially available Giemsa powder.
A thin film of the specimen on a microscope slide is fixed in puremethanol for 30 seconds, by immersing it or by putting a few drops of methanol on the slide. The slide is immersed in a freshly prepared 5% Giemsa stain solution for 20–30 minutes (in emergencies 5–10 minutes in 10% solution can be used), then flushed with tap water and left to dry.[6]
