Cytoplasmic biotin-like activity interferes with immunohistochemical analysis of thyroid lesions: a comparison of antigen retrieval methods.

Cytoplasmic biotin-like activity was identified in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded human thyroid lesions by immunostaining for biotin by use of the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method or by peroxidase-labeled streptavidin alone. The reactivity of cytoplasmic biotin-like activity was markedly enhanced both by pretreatment with trypsin and after heating by autoclaving. Of 208 thyroid lesions, 93 showed positive immunostaining for biotin with use of trypsin pretreatment. The positive incidence of cases and positive cell ratio were highest in papillary carcinoma, followed by follicular carcinoma but lowest in the lethal types of thyroid carcinoma: anaplastic carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and poorly differentiated insular carcinoma. We conclude that cytoplasmic biotin-like activity in the common thyroid neoplasms should be considered as an interfering factor for immunostaining with avidin-biotin combined with selected antigen retrieval methods and with in situ hybridization with biotinylated probes.