| Abstract: | An immunohistochemical procedure, using glucose oxidase (GO) linked to anti-immunoglobulin serum, has been adapted to detect anti-tissue antibody to smooth muscle, parietal cells, and mitochondria. With this procedure antibody to smooth muscle was detected in a high percentage of normal sera. Anti-tissue antibodies were frequently detected in sera of patients clinically suspected of having an autoimmune disease when an immunofluorescence (IF) test to detect the antibodies was negative. The glucose oxidase immunohistochemical procedure to detect anti-tissue antibodies is feasible and highly sensitive, and produces permanent results. The clinical usefulness of this procedure will have to be carefully evaluated. The detection of anti-tissue antibody in normal sera may indicate that such antibody is normally present in low concentration and that it may possibly have physiologic functions. |
