[Antigen retrieval by microwave oven with buffer of citric acid]

Microwave oven (mwo) is used to stimulate tissue fixation and to retrieve antigens damaged by fixation. Heavy metal salt solutions, water, and citric acid buffer (cab) have been suggested for this purpose. A serie of tumors treated with cab and phosphate-buffered saline (pbs) with mwo were studied immunohistochemically with 24 antibodies. Controls were treated in the same way, except for microwaving. The antibodies were directed against antigens of the following tumors: breast and prostate carcinoma, carcinoid, lymphoma and melanoma. The results showed that cab enhanced the immunoreactivity of the following antigens: estrogen receptors (AMAC), progesterone receptors (Novocastra), HMB45, vimentin, leukocyte common antigen, PCNA, p53, MIB-1 (Ki-67) and prostatic specific antigen. The antigens that did not improve their immunoreactivity, when compared with the control series were: factor VIII, keratin, Leu 22, L26, neuron-specific enolase, CEA, chromogranin, HBME-1, smooth muscle actin and EMA. Microwaving equally improved protein S100 and desmin either with cab or pbs. The only antigen that improved with pbs was actin. The results with B72.3 and NKI/C3 were poor and not reliable. In conclusion microwaving with cab enhances the immunoreactivity of the antibodies mentioned above leading to an increase in sensibility without loosing specificity.