A. Casasco et al., TISSUE FIXATION FOR IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN WITH PC10 MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY, Biotechnic & histochemistry, 69(2), 1994, pp. 112-117
PC10 is a monoclonal antibody to proliferating cell nuclear antigen, a
nuclear protein associated with the cell cycle. We have evaluated the
effects of tissue fixation on PC10 immunoreactivity in sections of pa
raffin embedded rat tissues. Immunoreactivity was well preserved in ti
ssues after fixation with alcohol-based solutions for 3-24 hr. Fewer P
C10-positive cells were detectable in samples fixed with formaldehyde-
containing solutions compared with samples fixed with alcohol for the
same time. Loss of PC10 immunoreactivity in formaldehyde fixed tissues
was progressive, and quantifiable as early as after 3 hr fixation. Co
nsequently, alcohol-based fixatives are strongly recommended for any i
mmunocytochemical prospective study using PC10 antibody. In contrast,
loss of PC10-immunoreactivity is always predictable, but difficult to
quantitate, using formaldehyde fixed specimens. This aspect should be
considered when using PC10 antibody in retrospective studies with rout
inely-processed archival material.