Methods for In Situ Protein Visualization in Dental Mineralized Tissues

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a technique based on the specificity of antibody-antigen principle used commonly to detect antigens in tissue sections. The immune labeling can be performed in paraffin sections, cryostat sections, and ultrathin sections and can be observed in light confocal and transmission electron microscopy. However, the use of immunohistochemical techniques for the study of mineralized tissues has been a challenge for decades (Berdal et al., Arch Oral Biol 36:715-725, 1991; Nanci et al., Eur J Histochem 52:201-214, 2008). Specific procedures are necessary when compared with soft tissue immunohistochemistry. This chapter describes methods for IHC on Tissue-Tek O.C.T. compound and paraffin-embedded sections to detect antigens in the dental mineralized tissues.