Combined non-isotopic in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry on routine paraffin wax embedded tissue: identification of cell type infected by human parvovirus and demonstration of cytomegalovirus DNA and antigen in renal infection

A method for combined immunohistochemistry using alkaline phosphatase antialkaline phosphatase (APAAP) and in situ hybridisation using biotinylated probes was developed. The method requires no change to either technique and no additional procedures between them. The procedure was able to show the cell types involved in parvovirus infection of the fetus. The efficiency of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation for the detection of cytomegalovirus in kidney were also compared: occasional cells contained cytomegalovirus DNA but not antigen. The method is rapid, straightforward, and has wide applications in the study of viral infections, genes, and gene products in tissue sections because it permits the combined demonstration of antigen and nucleic acid on the same section in routine clinical material.