Antigenic determinants are sites on the surface of antigen molecules that can interact with antibodies. An antigenic substance can have two or more determinants. Studies have shown that antibodies recognize antigens from the three-dimensional structure of antigenic determinants rather than from the overall molecular arrangement of the antigen. Therefore, an antibody can react with...

Antibodies can often be used in multiple assays, but they do not perform equally well in all assays. This is particularly true for immunohistochemistry (IHC). IHC has now become an indispensable assay and is consistently performed in anatomic pathology to give specific diagnosis and subclassification of neoplasms. IHC is a complex assay, where the end result is influenced by a variety of...