Essay question: What steps would you need to take to develop an immunohistochemical method to identify Epstein Barr virus in tonsil tissue removed from a patient? Include the processing stages for the tissue.
Introduction 20 marks
Overview of ICC/IHC
Biology of Epstein Barr virus (EBV): pathogenesis, antigen expression, etc.
What is the significance of detecting EBV
Main text – Immunohistochemical method 50 marks
Receipt of request – patient information log
Method of fixation
Antigen retrieval
Choice of primary antibody(ies): monoclonal vs polyclonal, target epitope(s)
Detection system
Inclusion of appropriate controls
Interpretation of results
There are several alternative methods available for each of the above, so you must explain and justify your choices.
Conclusion 25 marks
Pros and cons of the method selected,
Health and safety issues
Inclusion of any current advancement in the detection of EBV in tissues will attract extra marks.
References 5 marks
All references are to be provided in alphabetical order (according to surname of first author) in the Harvard referencing format.
