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Infectious Diseases

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Handbook of Practical Immunohistochemistry

Abstract

Detection and identification of infectious ­microorganisms involve the use of conventional immunohistochemistry in addition to many other techniques, including culture, serology, histochemistry, in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, and direct fluorescence antibody assays. This chapter takes into consideration all of these techniques while answering questions about bacterial, mycobacterial viral, fungal, and protozoan testing. The best techniques and testing conditions are described for dozens of the most clinically relevant microorganisms. The role of immunohistochemistry versus alternative techniques is clearly presented. Photomicrographs present the characteristic feature of optimized staining techniques. Topics for each organism including the sensitivity and specificity of the tests, how fixation and retrieval affect the results, when protease should be considered in an assay, and how these tests could be incorporated into your clinical practice are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology and Pathology, Geisinger Medical Center, 100 North Academy Avenue, Danville, PA, 17822, USA

    Dirk M. Elston

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  1. Dirk M. Elston
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  2. Lawrence E. Gibson
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  3. Heinz Kutzner
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Correspondence to Dirk M. Elston .

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  1. , Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Geisinger Health System, 100 N. Academy Avenue, Danville, 17822, Pennsylvania, USA

    Fan Lin

  2. , Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center, 100 N. Academy Avenue, Danville, 17822, Pennsylvania, USA

    Jeffrey Prichard

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Elston, D.M., Gibson, L.E., Kutzner, H. (2011). Infectious Diseases. In: Lin, F., Prichard, J. (eds) Handbook of Practical Immunohistochemistry. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8062-5_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8062-5_29

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