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A novel immunohistochemical detection system using mirror image complementary antibodies (MICA)
Author(s) -
Mangham D C,
Isaacson P G
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
histopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.626
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1365-2559
pISSN - 0309-0167
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2559.1999.00701.x
Subject(s) - immunohistochemistry , primary and secondary antibodies , immunostaining , polyclonal antibodies , monoclonal antibody , antibody , mica , avidin , staining , biology , antigen , biotin , microbiology and biotechnology , pathology , biotinylation , immunology , biochemistry , medicine , paleontology
Aims To describe and illustrate a novel and highly sensitive peroxidase‐based immunohistochemical detection system which employs mutually attractive, mirror image complementary antibodies (MICA). Methods and results To demonstrate the sensitivity of the MICA system alongside the avidin–biotin complex (ABC) method, we selected a range of mouse monoclonal and rabbit polyclonal primary antibodies against antigens that are generally regarded as relatively difficult or impossible to detect on formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded lymphoid tissue. Compared with the ABC method, the MICA immunodetection method enabled us to dilute primary antibodies up to 200‐fold with equivalent or superior immunostaining results and, usually, considerably shortened primary antibody incubation times. Conclusions We have described and illustrated a novel immunohistochemical detection system and demonstrated greatly increased sensitivity over the commonly used ABC system. An additional advantage of the MICA system is that it is avidin‐free and so avoids non‐specific staining due to endogenous tissue biotin.