Method for immunohistochemical detection of steroid receptors contained in tissues containing target cells by local elucidation

摘要

The invention concerns a method for the locally-resolved immune-histochemical detection of steroid receptors in tissue containing target cells, the method comprising the following steps: A tissue sample containing target cells is treated with an aqueous formaldehyde solution with a pH of less than about 6.0, a non-covalently bound ligand on the steroid receptor being set free from the steroid receptor and covalently bound in the molecular vicinity of a sterically open bonding point. The tissue sample is subsequently dehydrated and embedded in a standard embedding compound. The embedded tissue sample is sliced to produce a sequence of slices. At least some of the slices are rehydrated and incubated with a ligand-specific antibody, the ligand-specific antibodies adding to the ligands bound at sterically open bonding points. The added ligand-specific antibodies are then rendered visible by means of a second antibody/enzyme conjugate pair and by its reaction with a substrate to give an insoluble product.