Application of an Immunoperoxidase Method to a Study of the Central Nervous System: Preliminary Findings in a Study of Human Formalin‐fixed Material

Application of an immunoperoxidase method to a study of the central nervous system: preliminary findings in a study of human formalin‐fixed material Central nervous system matcrial from 40 patients has been studied using the immunoperoxidase technique on formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissues, to examine the distribution of immunoglobulins, transferrin, and lysozyme. In various pathological conditions there was evidence of deposition of immunoglobulins and other serum proteins on or in myelin sheaths, and neurons. In patients dying without evidence of neurological disease there was similar faint staining which was limited to perivascular zones and was probably due to postmortem diffusion of serum proteins out of vessels. Where present, reactive astrocytes stained for the presence of a number of serum proteins, including immunoglobulin and transferrin. In various inflammatory conditions immunoglobulin was demonstrated in mononuclear inflammatory cells in the perivascular spaces and in the neuropil of the brain. In recent plaques of multiple sclerosis there was positive specific staining of mononuclear inflammatory cells and myelin sheaths for immunoglobulin. The significance of these observations is briefly discussed.