Objectives: To improve the detection of p53 protein in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded head and neck tumor tissues.
Design: Cohort.
Setting: University and Veterans Administration medical centers.
Patients or other participants: Retrospective samples.
Intervention: Surgery for head and neck carcinoma.
Main outcome measures: Retrieval of p53 antigen. Hypothesis formulated after data collection.
Results: An antigen retrieval method facilitated the unmasking of previously inaccessible p53 antigenic determinants in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. This approach has made possible a much more reliable and sensitive immunohistochemical detection of p53 antigen. The procedure is simple, requiring only microwave heating of tissue sections to 100 degrees C in the presence of a zinc sulfate solution.
Conclusions: Antigen retrieval method in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue demonstrated a significant increase in p53 immunostaining.