Immunohistochemistry - principles and methods. A literature study combined with practical experiments

Abstract

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a method used in the daily diagnostic routine by all departments of pathology in Norway and uses the principal of antibodies recognizing antigens in different tissues. It is an approved supplemental examination of the tissue in addition to basic Hematoxylin-/Eosin staining. The method is used to look for specific cells or markers of interest and to conclude whether these are present or not. These cell markers can be of vital importance, especially in the case of metastatic tissue, to simply clarify from which organ a tumor originates. IHC is also a method to discriminating which patients who can benefit from specific cancer therapy, and many markers are also important for suggesting prognosis. This thesis gives an introduction to the principles of antigens and antibodies, and relate this to our immune system. In addition the basic of different procedures within IHC will be presented. This is all based on available literature. Finally, the thesis presents three practical experiments with implementation of a new antibody, which are based on my own work.