The utilization of radioimmunoassay antibodies for the immunohistologic staining of polypeptide hormones on paraffin-embedded tissue.

A method is described whereby commercially available radioimmunoassay-grade antibodies specific for the polypeptide hormones calcitonin, gastrin, glucagon, and somotastatin are used to detect these antigens on paraffin sections of routinely fixed tissue. The hormone antibodies are applied to deparaffinized tissue sections as the primary specific immune sera using the standard peroxidase technic. The use of these hormone antibodies to detect their respective antigens has proved valuable in demonstrating polypeptide forming tumor cells in pathologic specimens.