Immunohistological demonstration of lymph node reticulum cells in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome related complex. A study in Bouin-fixed tissues.

The results of an immunohistochemical study on paraffin sections of the lymph nodes from 5 patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) related complex (ARC) are presented. The distribution and frequency of follicular dendritic cells (FDC) and of interdigitating cells (IDC) were examined with the monoclonal antibodies J3D3 (directed against the C3b complement receptor, CD 35) and IOB1a (specific for the C3D, CD21) as well as with the polyclonal anti-S-100 protein antiserum in Bouin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections using a Streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. Disruption of the follicular FDC network was demonstrated. No major alteration of the IDC was noted. The immunomorphological patterns observed in this study were comparable with the previously reported lymph node alterations studied in frozen section.