Kinyoun stain

The Kinyoun method or Kinyoun stain (cold method), developed by Joseph J. Kinyoun, is a procedure used to stain acid-fast species of the bacterial genus Mycobacterium.^[1] It is a variation of a method developed by Robert Koch in 1882. Certain species of bacteria have a waxy lipid called mycolic acid, in their cell walls which allow them to be stained with Acid-Fast better than a Gram-Stain. The unique ability of mycobacteria to resist decolorization by acid-alcohol is why they are termed acid-fast.^[2] It involves the application of a primary stain (basic fuchsin), a decolorizer (acid-alcohol), and a counterstain (methylene blue).^[3] Unlike the Ziehl–Neelsen stain (Z-N stain), the Kinyoun method of staining does not require heating.^[4]^[5] In the Ziehl–Neelsen stain, heat acts as a physical mordant while phenol (carbol of carbol fuchsin) acts as the chemical mordant. Since the Kinyoun stain is a cold method (no heat applied), the concentration of carbol fuschin used is increased.^[6]

Summary of acid-fast stain (Kinyoun stain)
Application of	Reagent	Cell colour
Application of	Reagent	Acid fast	Non-acid fast
Primary dye	Carbol fuchsin	Red	Red
Decolorizer	Acid alcohol	Red	Colorless
Counter Stain	Methylene blue	Red	Blue

^ Geo F. B et al, Jawetz, Melnick and Adelberg's Medical Microbiology, 25th Edition, Lange Medical,2004, page 182
^ .dalynn (October 2014). "KINYOUN CARBOL FUCHSIN STAIN" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-01-14. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
^ Hussey, A. M., Zayaitz, A., "Acid-Fast Stain Protocols" Archived 2011-10-01 at the Wayback Machine, American Society for Microbiology, 8 September 2008. Retrieved on 1 November 2014.
^ Murray PR, Baron E, Pfaller M, Tenover F, Yolken, Eds. Manual of clinical microbiology. 7th ed. Washington, DC: ASM, 1999.
^ Baron EJ, Finegold SM. Bailey and Scott's diagnostic microbiology. 8th ed. St. Louis: Mosby, 1990.
^ Ananthanarayan and Panicker's Textbook of Microbiology, 9th Edition, Universities Press (India), 2013, page 353

[1] Geo F. B et al, Jawetz, Melnick and Adelberg's Medical Microbiology, 25th Edition, Lange Medical,2004, page 182

[2] .dalynn (October 2014). "KINYOUN CARBOL FUCHSIN STAIN" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-01-14. Retrieved 2019-05-22.

[3] Hussey, A. M., Zayaitz, A., "Acid-Fast Stain Protocols" Archived 2011-10-01 at the Wayback Machine, American Society for Microbiology, 8 September 2008. Retrieved on 1 November 2014.

[4] Murray PR, Baron E, Pfaller M, Tenover F, Yolken, Eds. Manual of clinical microbiology. 7th ed. Washington, DC: ASM, 1999.

[5] Baron EJ, Finegold SM. Bailey and Scott's diagnostic microbiology. 8th ed. St. Louis: Mosby, 1990.

[6] Ananthanarayan and Panicker's Textbook of Microbiology, 9th Edition, Universities Press (India), 2013, page 353

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