Application of the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method to the light microscopic localization of the IgA in the tracheal mucosa and the thoracic lymph nodes of the rat.

Visualization of rat IgA within the tracheal mucosa and the thoracic lymph nodes was achieved using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) method. This technique was compared to the indirect immunoperoxidase technique and both techniques were applied at the light microscopic level, with various fixing and embedding procedures. The ABC method was found superior to the indirect method with respect to sensitivity, to background staining and to the overall reaction time.