RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Immunohistowax processing, a new fixation and embedding method for light microscopy, which preserves antigen immunoreactivity and morphological structures: visualisation of dendritic cells in peripheral organs
JF Journal of Clinical Pathology
JO J Clin Pathol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Association of Clinical Pathologists
SP 518
OP 524
DO 10.1136/jcp.53.7.518
VO 53
IS 7
A1 Pajak, Bernard
A1 De Smedt, Thibaut
A1 Moulin, Véronique
A1 De Trez, Carl
A1 Maldonado-López, Roberto
A1 Vansanten, Georgette
A1 Briend, Emmanuel
A1 Urbain, Jacques
A1 Leo, Oberdan
A1 Moser, Muriel
YR 2000
UL http://jcp.bmj.com/content/53/7/518.abstract
AB Aims—To describe a new fixation and embedding method for tissue samples, immunohistowax processing, which preserves both morphology and antigen immunoreactivity, and to use this technique to investigate the role of dendritic cells in the immune response in peripheral tissues. Methods—This technique was used to stain a population of specialised antigen presenting cells (dendritic cells) that have the unique capacity to sensitise naive T cells, and therefore to induce primary immune responses. The numbers of dendritic cells in peripheral organs of mice either untreated or injected with live Escherichia coli were compared. Results—Numbers of dendritic cells were greatly decreased in heart, kidney, and intestine after the inoculation of bacteria. The numbers of dendritic cells in the lung did not seem to be affected by the injection of E coli. However, staining of lung sections revealed that some monocyte like cells acquired morphological and phenotypic features of dendritic cells, and migrated into blood vessels. Conclusions—These observations suggest that the injection of bacteria induces the activation of dendritic cells in peripheral organs, where they play the role of sentinels, and/or their movement into lymphoid organs, where T cell priming is likely to occur.