Ja. Reed et al., IMMUNOMYCOLOGY - RAPID AND SPECIFIC IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL IDENTIFICATIONOF FUNGI IN FORMALIN-FIXED, PARAFFIN-EMBEDDED MATERIAL, The Journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry, 41(8), 1993, pp. 1217-1221
We report the rapid (less than 1 hr), immunocytochemical identificatio
n of various fungi in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues using
antisera originally developed for use in immunodiffusion assays. Prima
ry antisera directed towards fungal genera including Aspergillus, Blas
tomyces, Candida, Coccidioides, Cryptococcus, Histoplasma, and Sporoth
rix were examined. The specificity of each antiserum was evaluated by
the presence or absence of crossreactivity with other morphologically
similar fungi in both paraffin-embedded pure fungal cultures and tissu
es with culture-confirmed fungal infections. Each antiserum reacted st
rongly with the fungus to which it had been raised, whether examined i
n Candida, Cryptococcus, and Sporothrix did not exhibit cross-reactivi
ty with any other fungus tested. However, the antisera raised to Asper
gillus, Blastomyces, Coccidioides, and Histoplasma demonstrated signif
icant crossreactivity with other genera of fungi, thus precluding thei
r routine use in diagnostic immunocytochemistry. The results indicate
that immunocytochemistry may provide an important adjunct to other met
hods, such as immunodiffusion or complement fixation assays and histoc
hemical stains such as the Grocott methenamine silver or periodic acid
-Schiff, when attempts are made to specifically identify certain fungi
in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues before mycology culture
results are available.