What is the Immunohistochemistry IHC ? why it is done ?

Immunohistochemistry is the most common application of immunostaining. It involves the process of selectively identifying antigens in cells of a tissue section by exploiting the principle of antibodies binding specifically to antigens in biological tissues

Results
The IHC test gives a score of 0 to 3+ that measures the amount of HER2 receptor protein on the surface of cells in a breast cancer tissue sample. If the score is 0 to 1+, it's called HER2 negative. If the score is 2+, it's called borderline. A score of 3+ is called HER2 positive.

Protocol
Immunohistochemistry Protocol
Immerse the slides in xylene (mixed isomers) 2 times for 10 minutes each.
Immerse the slides in 100% alcohol 2 times for 10 minutes each.
Immerse the slides in 95% alcohol for 5 minutes.
Immerse the slides in 70% alcohol for 5 minutes.
Immerse the slides in 50% alcohol for 5 minutes.

Pros and cons
The Pros and Cons of IHC
Good Bad
It doesn't require any special equipment, so chances are you could do it in your lab right now. …nor is there a general consensus as to what a “positive” stain is: your weak stain might be somebody else's negative.

Techniques
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a powerful technique that exploits the specific binding between an antibody and antigen to detect and localize specific antigens in cells and tissue, most commonly detected and examined with the light microscope.
#immuno #histo #chemistry #antigen #immunity #medical #explanation #process