title: Controls for immunohistochemistry: the Histochemical Society's standards of practice for validation of immunohistochemical assays.
abstract: Immunohistochemistry is widely used in biomedical research to localize specific epitopes of molecules in cells and tissues. The validity of interpretations based on immunohistochemistry requires appropriate positive and negative controls that are often not reported in publications. This omission may lead to incorrect interpretations and irreproducible results in the literature and contribute to wasted time, effort, and resources as well as erosion of confidence in scientific investigation by the general public, legislative bodies and funding agencies. The present article summarizes essential controls required for validation of immunohistochemical findings and represents a standard of practice for the use of immunohistochemistry in research and diagnostic investigations. Adherence to the guidelines described in the present article can be cited by authors as support for the validity of interpretations of the immunohistochemistry reported in their publications.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (SMH)Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and Department of Medicine (DGB, WLS) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonDepartment of Comparative Medicine (CWF) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonDepartments of Neurology and Physiology and Biophysics (WLS) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonThe Histochemical Society, Seattle, Washington (WLS)Biological Imaging Group, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (ERM)Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences (ERM) genejock@helix.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hewitt
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (SMH)Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and Department of Medicine (DGB, WLS) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonDepartment of Comparative Medicine (CWF) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonDepartments of Neurology and Physiology and Biophysics (WLS) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonThe Histochemical Society, Seattle, Washington (WLS)Biological Imaging Group, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (ERM)Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences (ERM).
authors.forename: Denis G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Baskin
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (SMH)Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and Department of Medicine (DGB, WLS) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonDepartment of Comparative Medicine (CWF) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonDepartments of Neurology and Physiology and Biophysics (WLS) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonThe Histochemical Society, Seattle, Washington (WLS)Biological Imaging Group, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (ERM)Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences (ERM).
authors.forename: Charles W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Frevert
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (SMH)Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and Department of Medicine (DGB, WLS) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonDepartment of Comparative Medicine (CWF) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonDepartments of Neurology and Physiology and Biophysics (WLS) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonThe Histochemical Society, Seattle, Washington (WLS)Biological Imaging Group, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (ERM)Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences (ERM).
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland (SMH)Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and Department of Medicine (DGB, WLS) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonDepartment of Comparative Medicine (CWF) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonDepartments of Neurology and Physiology and Biophysics (WLS) University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonThe Histochemical Society, Seattle, Washington (WLS)Biological Imaging Group, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (ERM)Institute of Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences (ERM).
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosa-Molinar
mesh_terms: D000918:Antibody Specificity; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000592:standards*; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012958:Societies, Scientific / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Immunohistochemistry; antibodies; assay; controls; immunocytochemistry; standards; validation