Comparison of an immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence procedure to detect antibody to pancreatic islet cells.

Antibody to the islet cells of the pancreas is detected in the serum of many patients with recent onset, insulin-dependent diabetes. Islet cell antibodies have been detected using the procedure of indirect immunofluorescence. We have adopted an immunohistochemical procedure using glucose oxidase to the histochemical identification of islet cell antibody. This procedure was found to be more sensitive than the immunofluorescence procedure, and, in addition, it was much easier to determine when a positive reaction was present. Thus, the glucose-oxidase immunohistochemical procedure for detecting antibodies to islet cells is preferable in comparison with indirect immunofluorescence.