[Histonet] Phospho antibodies and fixation

[Troutman, Kenneth A]

Good day colleagues,

Does anyone have any information on phospho antibodies and fixation?  Is there any reason to NOT fix specimens in formalin vs say, 70% EtOH? (and then process them through formalin later?)  I can't seem to find any information on whether or not fixation in formalin does something strange to a phosphorylated protien and makes it a less accessible antigen.  Also, on that same note, does retreival do anything to it?

I am assuming that these antibodies go through the same testing for cross reactivity, etc (depending on the vendor) and are reliable when used properly (like any other antibody).  I don't, however, know if there is enough of a difference in the epitope (the fact that it is phosphorylated) that would make it more susceptible to some strange cross linking with formalin (especiallly with phosphate buffered formalin).

Any help with this topic would be greatly appreciated as I am uneducated in this area.

Thanks,

Ashley Troutman BS, HT(ASCP) QIHC
Vanderbilt University Histopathology
1301 Medical Center Drive TVC 4532
Nashville, TN  37232
615-343-9134