Endothelial cell chimerism after renal transplantation and vascular rejection.

Background: The blood vessels of a transplanted organ are the interface between donor and recipient. The endothelium in the blood vessels is thought to be the major target for graft rejection. Endothelial cells of a transplanted organ are believed to remain of donor origin after transplantation.

Rapid verification of the identity of questionable specimens using immunohistochemistry with monoclonal antibodies directed against HLA-class I antigens.

Aims: A case report is presented in which an unexpected pathological diagnosis raised the possibility that biopsies of two patients were mixed-up. Since these biopsies were obtained from kidney transplant patients, the HLA-typings of both patients were known.

Methods And Results: We developed an immunohistochemical method using HLA-class I specific monoclonal antibodies to recognize the donor and recipient antigens in these biopsies.

Using Kryofix as alternative for formalin results in more optimal and standardized immunostaining of paraffin sections.

Although used for over one century formalin has several disadvantages which Kryofix, an alternative fixative for paraffin blocks used in Leiden for 6 years, does not have. In this study the effects of Kryofix on tissue regarding immunohistochemistry are compared with those of buffered formalin. All markers studied showed enhanced staining in the Kryofix blocks after 4 hours of fixation, whilst in some cases the immunostaining of the formalin blocks was even negative.

Amine and peptide hormone production by lung carcinoid: a clinicopathological and immunocytochemical study.

A consecutive series of 38 lung carcinoid tumours (36 surgical and two necropsy specimens) was studied. Histopathological features and amine and peptide hormone immunoreactivity were correlated with gross characteristics (size, location) and clinical data. Peripheral carcinoids were detected a decade later than central carcinoids and tended to be bigger.

Efficiency and sensitivity of indirect immunoperoxidase methods.

The peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) complex method has repeatedly been claimed to be more sensitive and antibody efficient than the indirect peroxidase labeled antibody method. However, most studies comparing these methods used tissue sections as the test material. However, test systems with known amounts of antigen will allow more reliable comparison of these methods and quantitative evaluation of method sensitivity.