Immunohistochemistry

Immunohistochemistry uses antibodies to detect and localize specific proteins in tissue sections, usually by producing a visible signal at their sites.

Antigen–antibody interaction: Specific binding between an antibody and the molecular feature, or epitope, it recognizes. Antibody recognition of tissue antigens is the method’s core detection step.
Surgical pathology: The examination of tissue removed from patients to diagnose disease and guide clinical care. Immunohistochemistry helps classify lesions when morphology alone is insufficient.
Antibody: An immune-system protein that binds a specific antigen through its variable region. Immunohistochemistry relies on antibodies to recognize selected tissue targets.
Immunocytochemistry: Antibody-based detection of specific molecules in individual cells or cell preparations. Unlike immunohistochemistry, it generally examines cells without intact tissue architecture.
Immunoperoxidase method: An immunostaining method that uses an enzyme, commonly horseradish peroxidase, to produce a colored reaction product. It converts antibody binding into a visible signal in many routine stains.
Tumor immunophenotyping: The characterization of tumor cells using markers that indicate their differentiation or lineage. Marker patterns can identify the likely origin of an otherwise ambiguous tumor.
Antigen: A molecule or molecular feature that can be specifically recognized by an antibody or immune receptor. The target protein, or a feature of it, is the antigen detected in tissue.
In situ hybridization: A method that detects specific DNA or RNA sequences within cells or tissue sections. It detects nucleic acids rather than the proteins targeted by immunohistochemistry.
Immunofluorescence: A technique that detects targets using antibodies tagged with fluorescent molecules. It reveals tissue antigens through fluorescence rather than an enzyme-generated color deposit.
HER2/neu: A cell-surface receptor encoded by ERBB2 that can be overexpressed or amplified in some cancers. Immunohistochemical HER2 assessment can guide treatment decisions in breast and other cancers.

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