Definition
Immunohistochemistry (IHC), or immunocytochemistry (ICC), is a technique that allows to visualize the precise localization of proteins, peptides, or other macromolecules in tissue sections or cell preparations.
Principle
It is based on the specificity and affinity of the binding of an antibody with its antigen. The antibody binds its specific antigen in situ, that is, at the point of the cell or tissue in which it is present. The bound antibody is then made visible under the microscope, including the light, fluorescent, or electron microscope. For routine diagnostic surgical pathology, immunohistochemistry privileges the use of light microscope, which allows to link the morphology of the tissue to the presence or absence of a specific antigen.
Methodology
The first immunohistochemical reaction was performed by Coons and colleagues (1941), who developed a fluorescent method to...
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References and Further Reading
Cartun, R. W., Taylor, C. R., & Dabbs, D. J. (2019). Technique of immunohistochemistry: Principles, pitfalls, and standardization. In D. J. Dabbs (Ed.), Diagnostic immunohistochemistry. Theranostic and genomic applications (pp. 1–46). Philadelphia: Elsevier.
Coons, A. H., Creech, H. J., & Jones, R. N. (1941). Immunological properties of an antibody containing a fluorescent group. Proceedings of the society for experimental biology and medicine, 47(2), 200–202.
Hsu, S. M., Raine, L., & Fanger, H. X. (1981). Use of avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) in immunoperoxidase techniques: A comparison between ABC and unlabeled antibody (PAP) procedures. Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry, 29(4), 577–580.
Komminoth, P., Perren, A. A., Walch, A., & Werner, M. (2003). Methods in cellular and molecular pathology. In R. V. Lloyd (Ed.), Endocirne pathology. Differential diagnosis and molecular advances (pp. 1–37). New Jersey: Humana Press.
Shi, S. R., Key, M. E., & Kalra, K. L. (1991). Antigen retrieval in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues: An enhancement method for immunohistochemical staining based on microwave oven heating of tissue sections. Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry, 39(6), 741–748.
Van Noorden, S. (1986). Tissue preparation and immunostaining techniques for light microscopy. In J. M. Polak & S. Van Noorden (Eds.), Immunocytochemistry. Modern methods and applications (pp. 26–53). Bristol: Wright.
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Chiaravalli, A.M. (2020). Immunohistochemistry. In: van Krieken, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_5085-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_5085-1
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