Immunohistochemistry
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Transcript Immunohistochemistry
Immunohistochemistry
Introduction
• Immunohistochemistry (IHC) combines histological,
immunological and biochemical techniques for the
identification of specific tissue components by means of
a specific antigen/antibody reaction tagged with a visible
label.
• IHC makes it possible to visualize the distribution and
localization of specific cellular components within a cell
or tissue.
• IHC is an application of antibodies to tissue
preparation for the localization of target antigens:
• Wide range of specific antibodies
• Highly sensitive detection system
Immunohistochemistry utilizes labeled antibodies to
localize specific cell and tissue antigens, and is among the
most sensitive and specific histochemical techniques.
Because many targeted antigens are proteins whose
structure might be altered by fixation and clearing, so
frozen sections are commonly used.
In some cases, paraffin wax can be used for embedding.
Immunohistochemistry assays may use
cells on slides
Cells grown, spun into a pellet, frozen or
paraffin embedded and sectioned
Cells grown as a monolayer
OR use tissue sections that are frozen or paraffin embedded
Sections from tissues contain many different kinds of cells
as well as extra-cellular matrix components
If the tissue is frozen
The sections may need to be used in immunohistoassays as
Unfixed:
Advantage:
Disadvantage:
antigens are unaltered
sections may fall off slide during staining
Acetone fixed:
- precipitates proteins onto cell surface---may extract lipids
- is needed for many of the “CD” antibodies
Paraformaldehyde fixed:
- needs to be freshly made, or frozen soon after
Tissue section on glass slide: Frozen
If the tissue is paraffin embedded
- Deparaffinize ( remove the infiltrated paraffin wax, by using organic solvents)
- The section then needs to be rehydrated, by sequential immersion
in graded alcohols (100%, 70% , 50% and then PBS)
- The deparaffinized section may need to be treated to expose buried
antigenic epitopes with either proteases or by heating in low pH citrate
buffer , or high pH EDTA buffer (Antigen Retrieval)
Tissue section: Paraffin embedded
Principle
• The principle of immunohistochemistry is to localize
antigens in tissue sections by the use of labeled
antibodies as specific reagents through antigen-antibody
interactions that are visualized by a marker such as
fluorescent dye, enzyme, radioactive element or
colloidal gold.
Antibodies (Immunoglobulins)
• Glycoprotein that are produced by plasma
cells and used by the immune system to
identify and neutralise foreign objects, ie.
bacteria and viruses
• Recognise a specific Antigen- mainly
proteins, glycoprotein, polysaccharides
• Complementary Determining Region
Antigen Detection
Antibodies binding to Antigens
Antigens
A. Raising Antibodies:
• Repeated injection of antigens (proteins, glycoproteins,
proteoglycans, and some polysaccharides) causes the
injected animal's B lymphocytes to differentiate into
plasma cells and produce antibodies.
• Members of a lymphocyte clone (descendents of a single
lymphocyte) produce a single type of antibody, which
binds to a specific antigenic site, or epitope.
1. Polyclonal antibodies: Large complex antigens may
have multiple epitopes and elicit several antibody types.
Mixtures of different antibodies to a single antigen are
called polyclonal antibodies.
2. Monoclonal antibodies: Antibodies specific for a single
epitope and produced by a single clone are called
monoclonal antibodies and are commonly raised in mice.
B. Labeling Antibodies:
• Antibodies are not visible with standard microscopy and
must be labeled in a manner that does not interfere with
their binding specificity.
• Common labels include fluorochromes (eg, fluorescein,
rhodamine),
histochemical
enzymes
techniques
demonstrable
(eg,
via
enzyme
peroxidase,
alkaline
phosphatase), and electron-scattering compounds for use
in electron microscopy (eg, ferritin, colloidal gold).
Method
• Direct Method
• Indirect Method
• PAP Method
Direct Method
Labeled Antibody
Tissue Antigen
Two-Step Indirect Method
Secondary Antibody
Primary Antibody
Tissue Antigen
PAP Method
(peroxidase anti-peroxidase method)
Applications
• Cancer diagnostics
• differential diagnosis
• Treatment of cancer
• Research
General Immunohistochemistry
Protocol
Part 1
Tissue preparation
1. Fixation
Fresh unfixed, fixed, or formalin fixation and
paraffin embedding
2. Sectioning
3. Whole Mount Preparation
Part 2
pretreatment
1. Antigen retrieval
Proteolytic enzyme method and Heat-induced method
2. Inhibition of endogenous tissue components
3% H2O2, 0.01% avidin
3. Blocking of nonspecific sites
10% normal serum
Part 3
staining
• Make a selection based on the type of
specimen, the primary antibody, the degree
of sensitivity and the processing time required.
Controls
• Positive Control
It is to test for a protocol or procedure used.
It will be ideal to use the tissue of known positive as a
control.
• Negative Control
It is to test for the specificity of the antibody involved.