Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 87. (Budapest 1995)

Józsa, L. ; Pap, I.: Histochemical and immunohistochemical analysis of mummy skin

but epithelial cells produced diffuse staining and localization was not correct (Fig. 11). Table 2 shows materials detectable by immunohistochemistry. Though it is not an immunohistochemical process, red blood cells' peroxidase enzyme could be identified by benzidine reaction as a side product of the analysis outlined (Fig. 12). Table 2. Immunohistochemical and histochemical results Tissue component Detection method Result Glycoprotein PAS Moderate positivity Proteoglycan PAS Moderate positivity Glycosaminoglycan Alcian blue Moderate positivity Melanin Masson Montana Marked positivity Medullary sheath Luxol-Fast-Blue Medium positivity Collagen Type I ABP Medium positivity Collagen Type III ABP Marked positivity Collagen Type IV ABP Moderate positivity Fibronectin ABP Moderate positivity Laminin ABP Seldom positivity Tenascin ABP Negative Thrombospondin ABP Negative Vitronectin ABP Negative Desmin ABP Moderate positivity Vimentin ABP Negative EMA ABP Marked positivity CK ABP Medium positivity Peroxidase enzyme Benzidine Medium positivity DISCUSSION Skeletalized material preserved a considerable proportion of its organic material contents in osseous tissues. Collagen, polysaccharides, some lipids survived not only in ancient remains but in 50-70 million year old dinosaur fossils and they can be detected by comparatively simple methods (PAWLICKI 1983). Cholesterine, haemosiderin and calcium contents of arteriosclerotic arteriae were the first to be discovered in human remains and polysaccharides, bile pigments, urate crystals, etc. were identified much later. Histochemistry was booming in the fifties but paleohistology was slow to utilize these technical possibilities (SANDISON 1962). As far as we know it, enzyme activities were never detected in mummy tissue before. We think enzymes have various levels of survivability and resistance and therefore some of them had to be able to survive mummy making processes as well as dehydration. There is a possibility that not only peroxidase but other enzymes are also detectable in mummified tissue. In 1914 UHLENHUTH & WEIDONZ discovered that bones preserved generic immunologic characteristics. The UHLENHUTH reaction was based on this. Though it is obsolete today it was used to determine the human origin of bone remains for a long time. Twenty years after the discovery of UHLENHUTH & WEIDONZ it was established that polysaccharides containing proteins with ABO blood group characteristics were also preserved in skeletalized material and mummy tissue. For a long time blood groups were determined by immunochemical processes. A microscopic method that was able to decide the group and to localize blood group material was established only thirty years ago. This way immunohistochemistry became a part of paleohistology (LENGYEL 1975). Recently ASCENZI et al. (1985) detected haemoglobin in bones and they managed to separate normal haemoglobin and the S-haemoglobin occurring in sickle cell anaemia. LEWIN (1984) demonstrated smallpox-like viral agents from the mummy