Antigen Retrieval of E-cadherin with Citrate Buffer and TWEEN from Formalin-fixed, Paraffin-embedded Tissue by Microwave Oven Heating
We developed a novel method for retrieving E-cadherin antigen from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival liver tissue sections, and succeeded in clearly revealing the presence of E-cadherin by immunohistochemistry. This method consists of microwave heating of the sections submerged in 0.1 mol/1 citrate buffer solution with 0.1% Tween 20. The addition of 0.1% Tween 20 was considered to be crucial for the better retrieval of the antigen. With this treatment, paraffin-embedded liver tissues stored for anywhere from a few months up to 10 years can be utilized and they should still exhibit a strong immunoreactivity with anti-E-cadherin antibody along the cell membrane between hepatocytes. It is hoped that our method will facilitate studies of cadherin biology and its diagnostic and prognostic implications.
