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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
Optical Clearing and Imaging of Immunolabeled Kidney Tissue
Published on: July 22, 2019
A new immunoelectron microscopy approach for the detection of immunoglobulin and complement deposits in
1Department of Pathology, Ullevål Hospital, Oslo, Norway. s.h.brorson@ioks.uio.no
Insights
A new immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) technique enhances detection of immunoglobulin and complement deposits in kidney biopsies. This method offers superior sensitivity and ultrastructural preservation for improved renal pathology diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Pathology
- Microscopy
Background:
- Accurate detection of immunoglobulin and complement deposits is crucial for diagnosing kidney diseases.
- Traditional methods may have limitations in sensitivity and ultrastructural preservation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of a novel immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) technique.
- To assess the detection of immunoglobulin and complement deposits in epoxy-embedded renal biopsies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized epoxy embedding with an increased accelerator (DMP-30) for renal biopsies.
- Performed immunogold labeling on ultrathin sections after citrate buffer antigen retrieval.
- Compared results with immunofluorescence (IF) on parallel frozen sections.
Main Results:
- The new IEM method demonstrated intense and distinct immunogold labeling.
- Ultrastructural preservation was comparable to standard epoxy embedding.
- IEM showed higher sensitivity for IgA detection than IF in some cases.
- The combined approach (accelerator + antigen retrieval) improved ease of use and labeling intensity.
Conclusions:
- The optimized IEM technique offers enhanced diagnostic value for renal biopsies.
- It provides superior sensitivity and ultrastructural detail compared to conventional methods.
- This method facilitates automated tissue processing alongside routine electron microscopy samples.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine the diagnostic value of a new immunoelectron microscopy technique (IEM) for detection of immunoglobulin and complement deposits in epoxy-embedded renal biopsies. Twenty-four renal biopsies were embedded in epoxy resin following a tissue processing involving moderately increased amount of accelerator, DMP-30 (Tri(Dimethyl Amino Methyl) Phenol), in the infiltration steps. Following antigen retrieval by heating in citrate buffer, immunogold labeling was performed on ultrathin sections from these epoxy blocks with antibodies against immunoglobulins and complement. The sections were counterstained with urnayl acetate and lead citrate without any enhancing procedures. The preservation of the ultrastructure with this method was similar to that usually seen in epoxy embedded material. The immunogold labeling was intense and distinct. Immunofluorescence (IF) for light microscopy was carried out on frozen sections of parallel tissue samples. The correspondence between IF and IEM were good, but in some cases higher sensitivity for IgA with IEM than IF was observed in the sense that smaller amounts of antigen were detectable with IEM. The combination of moderately increased amount of accelerator and antigen retrieval is superior to previous methods with respect to ease of use, ultrastructural preservation, and intensity of the immunolabeling. Moreover, the renal tissue can be processed in an automatic ultraprocessor together with other specimens which are to be prepared for routine electron microscopy.
