Application value of immunohistochemistry in tumor pathological diagnosis and concomitant diagnosis

Basic Role of Immunohistochemistry in Pathological Diagnosis

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is one of the commonly used protein detection methods in pathological laboratories.It uses the antigen-antibody specific binding principle to locate specific antigens on tissue sections, thereby helping to determine the nature of the lesion and the cellular origin.In tumor pathology, the combination of IHC markers can provide valuable ancillary information when morphological features are not typical.For example, epithelial markers, mesenchymal markers, lymphopoietic system markers, etc., are often used for preliminary classification.

To be clear, IHC results do not stand alone, and often require a combination of tissue morphology, clinical information, and other testing methods.Positive or negative expression of a single marker is only relevant in appropriate diagnostic contexts.Pathological diagnosis emphasizes chain-of-evidence integration rather than relying on a single staining result.

Combination strategies in tumor source identification and typing

For metastatic tumors with unspecified primary foci, pathologists often use a group of antibodies for immunophenotyping.The common strategy is to first distinguish between cancer and sarcoma by broad-spectrum epithelial markers and mesenchymal markers, and then combine the relatively specific markers of the organ to narrow the source range.For poorly differentiated tumors, it is sometimes necessary to expand the marker combination or further confirm with molecular testing.

In lymphopoietic system disorders, IHC can help distinguish between B-cell and T-cell sources and identify markers for different stages of differentiation.For special types of tumors such as the nervous system and endocrine system, the expression of specific markers can also assist in diagnosis