The pathology review added another layer of confidence when interpreting data from GTEx samples. Instances occurred when a biospecimen's gene expression profile did not correlate with the gene expression profiles of other samples from the same biospecimen type or same donor, for example, when a GTEx donor was the recipient of a donated organ. The pathology report helped to identify tissue types not suitable for the GTEx project due to tissue sampling inconsistencies, problems with poor preservation, and tissue heterogeneity issues (Fig. 3). Pathology review via rapid digital pathologic assessment of biospecimens streamlined the targeted collection of appropriate tissue types with consistent quality.
