Abstract
Evaluation of the effects of tissue fixation is important in standardizing immunohistochemistry. Antigenic preservation by fixatives other than conventional formalin fixatives has not been well studied. This study compares this effect with Lillie fixative (formalin-alcohol-acetic acid) and neutral buffered formalin.Tissue samples (n = 58) of equal size from a variety of tumors and normal tissues were fixed in 10 ml of either fixative and embedded in paraffin. Twenty-nine antibodies were tested, and the avidin-biotin complex method was utilized with microwave antigen retrieval for selected antibodies. Sections were evaluated for staining pattern, intensity, background, and estimate of positivity. Results were tabulated as no, minor (mild to moderate), or major (severe or complete loss of immunoreactivity) differences between fixatives.Differences in immunoreactivity were observed in 15 of 29 (52%) tested antibodies, minor in 11 (38%) and major in 4 (14%). Formalin was superior to Lillie fixative in antigenic preservation. Fourteen of the 15 antibodies showed decreased immunoreactivity in Lillie-treated tissue, and microwave antigen retrieval restored their cytoplasmic and surface immunoreactivity. (The J Histotechnol 21:101, 1998)
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