Use of ultrastructural immunohistochemistry in human pituitary pathology.
Recent advances in ultrastructural immunohistochemistry have provided insight into not only the subcellular localization of single antigens but also the colocalization of two distinct antigens in the same cellular constituent. In the field of pituitary pathology, precise identification of cell types, mechanism of processing, and dynamic intracellular transportation of hormones, as well as production of multiple hormones in the same cells of nontumorous and neoplastic adenohypophyses, have been documented by use of these techniques. The present review deals with the use of major methods for ultrastructural immunohistochemistry including pre-, post-, and non-embedding methods, particularly focusing on their application to human pituitary pathology. Problems of tissue processing and a protocol for double labeling technique using the protein A-gold complex are also described.
Sano
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Department of Pathology, University of Tokushima School of Medicine, Japan.
D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron / Q000379:methods*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016610:Tissue Embedding / Q000379:methods