IHC Flashcards
What is the purpose of IHC methods in pathology?
Determine origin of tumors and determine between benign and malignancies.
What are considered normal results when using IHC methods?
- Tissue/cells appear normal and have high level of maturity
- Cells are appropriate to tissue type
- No specific tumour antigens present
What are advantages to monoclonal antibodies?
- No batch to batch variability
- Purer than polyclonal
- high affinity and specificity
How is IHC used in histology?
- Antibodies bind wherever antigens are present
- excess can be washed away
- Antibodies can have fluorescent labels on them for visual demonstration under the microscope
What are two epitope retrieval methods for IHC?
HEIR & EIER
What is the best preparation method for lymphocytic surface markers when doing IHC methods?
Cryostat
What are the advantages of epitope enhancement?
- Dilute antibodies further
- Expose epitope sites
- uniform staining
- intense reactions with decreased incubation
What are the two most common solutions used for HEIR method?
- Sodium citrate
- EDTA
What is the purpose of increasing the pH for HEIR method?
- enhances nuclear and cell surface antigens
What are the disadvantages of HEIR?
- Tissue damage when heating strong alkaline solutions
- Tissue detachment
- Holes in tissue section
What are the methods of heating HEIR slides?
- Microwave
- Pressure cooker
- Vegetable steamer
- Circulating Water bath
What is used in the EIER method to expose antigenic sites in tissue sections?
Proteolytic enzymes
What are the disadvantages of using EIER?
- Non specific staining if used improperly
- Can weaken specific staining
- Fragmentation or loss of tissue sections
- Over digestion - distorted tissue morphology
What is the purpose of combining HEIR and EIER?
- Minimize the extend of enzymatic pretreatment
When combining HEIR and EIER, what order are they done?
- HEIR
- EIER
What is a fluorochrome?
- Dye that absorbs light and emits it’s own light at longer wave lengths
What are the advantages of using fluorochromes?
- Sensitive
- Specific
- Simple
What is enzyme IHC?
Enzyme demonstrates antibody location in the presence of substrate and chromogens.
What are 4 enzymes used as markers?
- Alkaline phosphatase
- B-galactosidase
- Glucose oxidase
- Horseradish peroxidase
In tissue containing melanin what colour of chromogen should be used when doing enzyme IHC?
RED
What counter stain can be used for enzyme IHC methods? Why?
Mayer hematoxylin - bc it doesn’t contain alcohol
What would happen is Harris hematoxylin was used to counterstain a section undergoing enzyme IHC staining?
False negative results because ACE and AP are dissolved in alcoholic hematoxylins
What is the principle of direct immunofluorescent techniques?
Labeled antibody of known specificity is used to identify antigen’s in patient tissue, which are subsequently reacted with a chromogen.
What are advantages to direct IHC methods?
- One antibody
- Short and quick