title: Protein fixation and antigen retrieval: chemical studies.
abstract: Abstract Fixation with formaldehyde is the first process to which most biopsy and necropsy specimens are exposed prior to dehydration and embedding in paraffin wax. Tissue specimens that have been fixed in formaldehyde have architectural characteristics that are familiar to virtually every pathologist and these facilitate routine diagnosis. Nevertheless, formaldehyde fixation has some deleterious effects including reduction in immunoreactivity and degradation of nucleic acids. Development of methods to counteract these deleterious effects requires an understanding of the chemical events that occur during tissue fixation and subsequent tissue processing. This short review illustrates some of the chemical consequences of formaldehyde fixation and ethanol dehydration. It also provides some insight into the molecular events accompanying heat-induced antigen retrieval.
authors.affiliation: Office of Research and Development, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, USA. timothy.oleary@va.gov
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Evers
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Mason
mesh_terms: D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005404:Fixatives / Q000737:chemistry; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000494:pharmacology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde; D000431:Ethanol