Is immunohistochemistry a blood test?
Disease description:
Hello doctor, I'm going to the hospital for a physical examination tomorrow. I heard from a friend that immunohistochemistry requires a blood draw. I'd like to ask, is immunohistochemistry performed by drawing blood?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Liu Aihua
Immunohistochemistry does not require blood drawing; it is a technique used to detect immunophenotypes in fixed tissues. Typically, it allows us to rapidly detect antigens and antibodies in cells, tissues, or fluids. This method employs a laboratory technique known as an immunohistochemistry kit, which can identify specific antigen structures and stain them. After staining, the antibodies bind to antigens on the surface of cells and tissues, and this binding represents specific antigen-antibody interactions and their regulated biological responses. Furthermore, this technique can utilize positive markers and their expression status in stained cells to distinguish cancer cells. Assessing the overall staining patterns throughout the tissue helps physicians diagnose malignant tumor lesions in patients. Therefore, immunohistochemistry provides excellent and reliable results that aid in diagnosing existing or potential diseases.
