Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry
  Search:   
    >> Advanced Search

Guidelines | Subscriptions | About | exPRESS - Current - Archive | Business Information | Contact

Originally published as JHC exPRESS on April 27, 2009.
doi:10.1369/jhc.2009.953877
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
jhc.2009.953877v1
57/8/753    most recent
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Webster, J. D.
Right arrow Articles by Ramos-Vara, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Webster, J. D.
Right arrow Articles by Ramos-Vara, J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?
Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry
Volume 57 (8): 753-761, 2009
Copyright ©The Histochemical Society, Inc.

Effects of Prolonged Formalin Fixation on Diagnostic Immunohistochemistry in Domestic Animals

Joshua D. Webster, Margaret A. Miller, Dee DuSold and José Ramos-Vara

Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (JDW,MAM,DD,JRV) and Department of Comparative Pathobiology (JDW,MAM,JRV), School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

Correspondence to: Dr. José Ramos-Vara, Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Purdue University, 406 S. University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. E-mail: ramosja{at}purdue.edu

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is routinely used in diagnostic pathology to detect infectious agents, to immunophenotype neoplastic cells, and to prognosticate neoplastic diseases. Formalin fixation is considered a limiting factor for IHC because formalin can cross-link antigens and mask epitopes. Prolonged formalin fixation is presumed to result in decreased antigen detection; however, this effect has only been evaluated with a few antibodies. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of prolonged formalin fixation on the immunohistochemical detection of 61 different antigens. Approximately 5-mm-thick tissue slices were fixed in 10% neutral-buffered formalin. Tissue slices were removed from formalin, processed, and paraffin-embedded at 1-day, 3-day, and then at ~1-week intervals. IHC was performed on all sections in tandem after all tissues were processed. Immunoreactions were evaluated by three pathologists according to a four-tier grading system. Immunoreactivity of cytokeratin 7, high-molecular-weight cytokeratin, and laminin was diminished by prolonged formalin fixation. However, immunohistochemical reactivity remained moderate to strong with up to 7 weeks of fixation for all other antibodies. These results suggest that prolonged formalin fixation has minimal effects on antigen detection for most commonly used antibodies. These results further validate the use of IHC in diagnostic pathology. (J Histochem Cytochem 57:753–761, 2009)

Key Words: immunohistochemistry • formalin • formalin fixation • diagnostic pathology


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?





Guidelines | Subscriptions | About | exPRESS - Current - Archive | Business Information | Contact
The Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry is owned, published, and licensed by The Histochemical Society © 2009

 
Purchase HCS Short Course Manual on HCS site