Immunohistochemical analysis of protein expression in formalin fixed paraffin embedded human intervertebral disc tissues.

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a useful technique for the localization and semiquantification of protein expression within tissues. Adult human intervertebral disc (IVD) tissues contain a large amount of auto-fluorescence which often makes immunofluorescence techniques inappropriate on tissue samples but can be applied to isolated cell samples. Thus, IHC remains one of, if not the most common application for protein detection within IVD tissue. Immunostaining localizes antigen expression through specific epitope-antibody interactions. Within the field of IVD research, IHC is commonly used on fresh frozen and paraffin embedded tissues to elucidate the expression of antigens. Here, we discuss the principles of IHC applied to formalin fixed paraffin embedded IVD tissue and supply optimized protocols for antibodies used within our group to guide research within the IVD field.