Localization of IgE in tissues by an immunoperoxidase technique

An indirect immunoperoxidase technique was used to study the content and distribution of IgE in formaldehyde solution-fixed, paraffin-embedded adenoid and nasal tissues of atopic and nonatopic persons. Adenoid tissue from 15 patients, and nasal tissue from five patients with symptoms of inhalant allergies and augmented serum levels of total and allergen-specific IgE were examined with this method. Adenoid tissues from five patients without allergic symptoms were studied for comparison. A rich content of IgE, largely within the cytoplasm of the plasma cells, was observed in tissues of atopic subjects. The sections from nonallergic persons contained few weakly staining IgE-positive cells. These observations provide anatomic support for the role of IgE in hypersensitivity reaction of immediate type. This immunoperoxidase technique, circumventing the principal shortcomings of the immunofluorescence procedures, affords a highly sensitive and practical approach to cellular and tissue localization of IgE.