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HSD17B2 / 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for HSD17B2
Plan paraffin-section HSD17B2 IHC around cytoplasmic and membranous staining in intestinal endocrine cells (HPA tissue IHC). The guide pairs that pattern with a human placenta IHC-P example and a starting antibody concentration of 0.5–1 μg/mL (datasheet: PA1604).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
HSD17B2 Immunohistochemistry Experimental Design Guide
Expected localisation, validated protocols, controls and antibodies — the at-a-glance facts below, then the full design guide.
Must know before staining
| Expected localisation | Cytoplasmic and membranous tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Staining pattern | Intestinal endocrine cells: cytoplasmic and membranous signal (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | Citrate pH 6.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen) | |
| Positive control | Duodenum+1 more · see all | |
| Negative control | Adipose tissue+4 more · see all |
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
| Fixation | Keep fixation consistent across samples (standard IHC practice; not target-specific) | |
| Caveat | Signal varies by cell type within intestinal tissue (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Stimulus-linked regulation unreported (UniProt) | |
| Isoform / epitope | No annotated isoforms; epitope sidedness unspecified (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended HSD17B2 IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol is supplemented by published HSD17B2 staining protocols for lung, urothelial and endometrial specimens (PMC7170045; PMC5166531; PMC5481366).
| Sample | Tissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet PA1604); verify before use. |
| Sectioning | 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard) |
| Deparaffinisation | Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard) |
| Antigen retrieval | Heat-induced epitope retrieval in citrate buffer, pH 6.0, 20 min at 95–98 °C (standard rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit anti-HSD17B2, 0.5-1μg/ml (datasheet PA1604) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (standard) |
| Detection | HRP-polymer secondary, DAB chromogen 5–10 min (standard) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | HSD17B2-positive staining in endocrine cells of duodenum (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic and membranous expression, most abundant in intestine and placental endothelial cells. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with citrate pH 6.0 retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval); adjust to a published protocol when matching its specimen and antibody (PMC7170045; PMC5481366).
Section 2
What Is the Expected HSD17B2 Staining Pattern?
HSD17B2 is an endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein with a transmembrane segment at residues 4–24 (UniProt P37059 topology). In paraffin-section IHC, expect cytoplasmic and membranous staining, especially in intestinal endocrine cells and placental endothelial cells (HPA tissue IHC). HPA rates tissue staining reliability as Enhanced, while reporting medium consistency between staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC).
| Strong cytoplasmic and membranous staining in duodenal or small-intestinal endocrine cells (HPA tissue IHC). | This matches the reported High staining in those cells (HPA tissue IHC). Assess the cell type as well as intensity: a brown signal elsewhere in the section does not establish the expected pattern (general IHC practice). |
| Staining is confined to nuclei, with little cytoplasmic signal. | Nuclear-only staining conflicts with the endoplasmic reticulum membrane location (UniProt P37059) and HPA's cytoplasmic and membranous tissue profile (HPA tissue IHC). Review controls and scoring before calling it HSD17B2. |
| Strong staining appears in adipocytes or adrenal glandular cells. | Those cells are reported as Not detected (HPA tissue IHC). Cross-reactivity or detection background is possible (general IHC practice); the HPA result is a reference pattern, not proof that every specimen must be negative. |
| Brown staining spreads across tissue structures without a discernible cell pattern. | Diffuse signal cannot be assigned confidently to the expected cells or compartment (general IHC practice). Compare a no-primary control and review blocking, washing, and chromogen development (general IHC practice). |
| Duodenal or small-intestinal endocrine cells show no detectable signal. | An absent signal conflicts with their reported High staining (HPA tissue IHC). Check whether the cells are present, then review the IHC-validated antibody and detection controls before interpreting the specimen as negative (general IHC practice). |
💡Expected HSD17B2 appearanceCall a convincing positive when intestinal endocrine cells show strong cytoplasmic and membranous staining (HPA tissue IHC); nuclear-only staining or diffuse brown background warrants review against the reported endoplasmic reticulum location and IHC controls (UniProt P37059; general IHC practice).
| Compartment and topology | HSD17B2 occupies the endoplasmic reticulum membrane and has a transmembrane segment at residues 4–24 (UniProt P37059 topology). Interpret cytoplasmic and membranous IHC together; topology alone does not establish epitope accessibility. |
| Tissue and cell selection | Duodenal and small-intestinal endocrine cells are High; colonic and rectal endocrine cells and hepatocytes are Low (HPA tissue IHC). Match the sampled cell type when comparing stain intensity. |
| Strength of the tissue reference | Two listed antibodies, HPA021826 and HPA050235, have Enhanced IHC validation (HPA antibodies). HPA nevertheless reports medium consistency with RNA expression, so assess localization and controls alongside intensity (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). |
| IF/ICC Q&A: What location should be seen? | An endoplasmic reticulum pattern is the approved ICC-IF location; HPA lists images from Hep-G2 and RT-4 (HPA subcellular). This supports a localization check, not an IF/ICC protocol for this IHC page. |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| No signal in the expected intestinal endocrine cells. | Those cells are High in duodenum and small intestine (HPA tissue IHC); loss of signal may reflect a staining-run problem (general IHC practice). | Confirm that endocrine cells are represented, then review the IHC-validated antibody, detection reagents, and positive control (general IHC practice). |
| The whole section has a brown haze. | Diffuse color can arise from nonspecific binding, endogenous detection activity, or excess chromogen development (general IHC practice). | Compare a no-primary control; review blocking, washing, endogenous-activity control, and development time (general IHC practice). |
| Staining is predominantly nuclear. | That pattern disagrees with the endoplasmic reticulum membrane location (UniProt P37059) and HPA tissue profile (HPA tissue IHC). | Check control sections and reassess whether cytoplasmic and membranous signal is present before scoring nuclei as positive (general IHC practice). |
| Adipocytes or adrenal glandular cells stain strongly. | HPA reports Not detected for those cell types (HPA tissue IHC); cross-reactivity or background is possible (general IHC practice). | Check a no-primary control and compare localization with an independently validated antibody if available (general IHC practice; HPA antibodies). |
| Placental endothelial staining varies across the section. | Target-specific fixation effects are not established by the supplied assay evidence. Verify with a matched IHC source before attributing a result to fixation. | Identify endothelial cells and compare intact regions and run controls before attributing variation to HSD17B2 biology (general IHC practice). |
| Low staining in hepatocytes is mistaken for a failed run. | Hepatocytes are reported as Low, whereas intestinal endocrine cells are High (HPA tissue IHC). | Compare the result with the cell-specific HPA levels and include an intestinal positive control when evaluating assay performance (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing HSD17B2 staining
PA1604 · IHCAnti-HSD17B2 antibody, PA1604, IHC(P) IHC(P): Human Placenta Tissue
PA1604 · IHCAnti-HSD17B2 antibody, PA1604, IHC(F) IHC(F): Human Placenta Tissue
A02506-1 · IFIF analysis of HSD17B2 using anti-HSD17B2 antibody (A02506-1). HSD17B2 was detected in an immunocytochemical section of A431 cells. Enzyme a
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000086696-HSD17B2/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_18015847
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000086696-HSD17B2/tissue/colon#imid_11900357
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000086696-HSD17B2/tissue/liver#imid_11900358
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000086696-HSD17B2/tissue/kidney#imid_18006607
HPA · ICC-IF Hep-G2Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, Hep-G2, antibody HPA021826; green = HSD17B2, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF Hep-G2Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, Hep-G2, antibody HPA021826; green = HSD17B2, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for HSD17B2 IHC & IF
🧪Run duodenum first: endocrine cells should stain strongly (HPA: High in duodenal endocrine cells). Use adipose tissue as a negative, focusing on adipocytes (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); on the duodenal slide, neighboring non-endocrine cells should remain at background, but use them only as internal comparators because their status is not specified by the supplied HPA row.
Positive control tissue: Duodenum (Endocrine cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show HSD17B2 in Hep-G2, RT-4, with annotated localisation: Endoplasmic reticulum (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary (secondary-only) control, a concentration-matched isotype control matching the primary antibody’s host species and clonality, and a biological negative such as knockout tissue or peptide-blocked antibody if available (standard IHC practice). For chromogenic duodenal IHC, quench endogenous peroxidase and check for endogenous biotin if using biotin-based detection (standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window and retrieval dependency are unreported in the supplied evidence; the selected PA1604 placenta IHC(P) caption does not state a fixative (PA1604 caption: fixative not stated). The evidence does not establish whether frozen sections or IF are easier than paraffin IHC; ER-localized staining is a useful IF pattern check (HPA: approved endoplasmic reticulum localization). Intestinal tissue may show endogenous peroxidase or biotin signal, so interpret staining against the technical controls (standard IHC practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for HSD17B2
Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Enhanced — Medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data.). Rows are taken directly from the HPA tissue chart — click any row's HPA link to view the source.
Positive expression · recommended positive controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duodenum | Endocrine cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Small intestine | Endocrine cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Undetected expression · recommended negative controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adipose tissue | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Adrenal gland | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bone marrow | Hematopoietic cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Breast | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bronchus | Respiratory epithelial cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced HSD17B2 IHC Tips
Troubleshoot HSD17B2 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, compartment, cell type, controls, and scoring before interpreting chromogenic signal.
How should I adjust retrieval when HSD17B2 staining is weak in paraffin sections?
Start with citrate buffer at pH 6.0, 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval setting). Compare sections processed in the same run, using the PA1604 placenta IHC(P) image as evidence of a stained tissue, without assuming its unreported retrieval conditions (PA1604 caption; standard IHC practice). If signal remains weak, change one variable at a time, such as extending heating by 5 min, while watching for tissue damage (standard IHC practice). A different buffer or pH is a fallback to test only after the stated citrate condition (page retrieval setting; standard IHC practice). Judge improvement by cellular staining and low control-section background, rather than overall darkness (standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain weak or uneven HSD17B2 staining?
The PA1604 placenta caption reports IHC(P) but no fixative, so HSD17B2-specific fixation sensitivity is unknown (PA1604 caption). Record the actual fixative, time before fixation, fixation duration, and processing history for each paraffin block before comparing staining (standard IHC practice). If blocks differ, stain adjacent sections together with the same citrate pH 6.0, 95–98 °C, 20 min retrieval to limit run variation (page retrieval setting; standard IHC practice). Inspect morphology and section adhesion before increasing retrieval intensity, since damage can obscure cellular staining (standard IHC practice). Do not infer fixation tolerance from the tissue staining profile or the protein’s ER membrane topology (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt P37059 topology).
Where should convincing HSD17B2 staining appear within a positive cell?
Expect a cytoplasmic, potentially membranous pattern consistent with an endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein, rather than isolated nuclear staining (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt P37059 localisation). HPA describes cytoplasmic and membranous expression, including placental endothelial cells, and reports high staining in duodenal and small-intestinal endocrine cells (HPA tissue IHC). At 20× to 40× magnification, compare the intracellular pattern with cell outlines and nearby unstained structures before assigning positivity (standard IHC practice). Use the same compartment criterion throughout a slide so faint diffuse chromogen does not become a positive call selectively (standard IHC practice). If staining is predominantly nuclear or extracellular, recheck controls, morphology, and detection background before interpreting it as HSD17B2 (UniProt P37059 localisation; standard IHC practice).
How do topology and an unknown antibody epitope affect staining decisions?
HSD17B2 has 387 amino acids, one annotated transmembrane segment at residues 4–24, and no annotated isoforms (UniProt P37059 record). The supplied record lists no glycosylation sites or modified residues, but it does not locate the catalog antibody’s epitope (UniProt P37059 record; PA1604 caption). Therefore, do not assume that a retrieval change exposes a particular sequence or that all antibody epitopes have equal access in paraffin sections (standard IHC practice). Compare retrieval conditions on adjacent sections while keeping antibody incubation and chromogenic development matched (standard IHC practice). If a product epitope map becomes available, use it to assess topology and species specificity before attributing discordant patterns to biology (UniProt P37059 topology; standard IHC practice).
How can IF help examine the cellular source of an HSD17B2 IHC signal?
In a separate IF experiment, pair HSD17B2 with an endothelial marker such as CD31 when examining the placental endothelial population described by HPA (HPA tissue IHC; standard IF practice). Choose a far-red channel for a weak HSD17B2 signal and measure unstained-tissue autofluorescence in each channel before assigning colocalisation (standard IF practice). HSD17B2 is an ER membrane protein with a transmembrane segment at residues 4–24, but the supplied evidence does not establish the antibody epitope or its membrane-facing side (UniProt P37059 topology; PA1604 caption). Determine epitope accessibility before choosing permeabilisation: a cytosol-facing epitope and an ER-lumen-facing epitope may require different membrane access (standard IF practice). The PA1604 tissue caption supports IHC(P), without documenting an IF fixation or permeabilisation condition (PA1604 caption).
What should I check when chromogen obscures HSD17B2-positive cells?
First compare the stained section with a no-primary control processed through the same detection and chromogen steps (standard IHC practice). If both show diffuse color, review peroxidase blocking and DAB development time as general chromogenic workflow variables, not HSD17B2-specific conditions (standard IHC practice). Reduce excessive antibody concentration or development time one variable at a time, and keep wash steps consistent across sections (standard IHC practice). Inspect adipocytes in adipose tissue or glandular cells in adrenal tissue as context for low expected signal, while allowing for specimen differences (HPA tissue IHC). Reassess apparent positivity at damaged edges and in poorly preserved areas against intact cells elsewhere on the slide (standard IHC practice).
How should I score HSD17B2 across heterogeneous tissue sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and region before scoring, because HPA reports placental endothelial expression and high staining in duodenal and small-intestinal endocrine cells (HPA tissue IHC). Within each defined population, record the percentage of cells at intensity 0–3 and calculate an H-score as the sum of percentage times intensity, ranging from 0–300 (standard IHC practice). Alternatively, report positive-cell density per mm² when the question concerns how many positive cells occupy a tissue area (standard IHC practice). Normalise cell-based measures to the number of evaluable cells of the specified type, and density measures to evaluable tissue area (standard IHC practice). Apply one positivity threshold and exclude damaged regions by the same rules across slides (standard IHC practice).
How can I distinguish true HSD17B2 staining from artefact?
Give greatest weight to intracellular cytoplasmic or membranous staining in an appropriate cell population, consistent with ER localisation and the HPA tissue pattern (UniProt P37059 localisation; HPA tissue IHC). The PA1604 placenta caption establishes an IHC(P) tissue image, while HPA identifies placental endothelial expression; neither establishes that every stained placental cell is positive (PA1604 caption; HPA tissue IHC). Treat isolated nuclear signal, stained necrotic material, and strong section-edge color as reasons to inspect morphology and controls (UniProt P37059 localisation; standard IHC practice). Check a no-primary section for endogenous enzyme or detection-system signal before calling weak chromogen specific (standard IHC practice). Interpret a negative result against retrieval quality, preserved morphology, and a concurrently stained positive control (standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents
Best HSD17B2 / 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 IHC Antibodies
HSD17B2 antibody data cover human placenta paraffin-section IHC (PA1604 image caption) and A431-cell IF (A02506-1 image caption); the catalog also lists mouse reactivity for A02506-1 (catalog reactivity).
Real IHC data
Anti-HSD17B2 Antibody ®
Cat # PA1604
Real IF data
Anti-HSD17B2 Antibody ®
Cat # A02506-1
PA1604 has a human placenta paraffin-section IHC image and is listed for human IHC (PA1604 image caption; catalog applications and reactivity). A02506-1 has an A431-cell IF image and is listed for human and mouse IF/ICC (A02506-1 image caption; catalog applications and reactivity).
Which to pick: Choose PA1604 for human paraffin-section tissue IHC at 0.5–1 μg/ml; its image caption identifies paraffin sections, but the fixative is unreported (PA1604 image caption; datasheet dilution). Choose A02506-1 for IF/ICC at 5 μg/ml, supported by its A431-cell IF image (A02506-1 image caption; datasheet dilution). For mouse samples, A02506-1 lists mouse reactivity, although its supplied IF image shows A431 cells; clonality is unreported for both antibodies (catalog reactivity; A02506-1 image caption; catalog clone fields).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P37059 (DHB2_HUMAN, 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2).
- Human Protein Atlas. HSD17B2 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
- Human Protein Atlas. HSD17B2 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Localized to the endoplasmic reticulum..
- Human Protein Atlas. HSD17B2 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
- Altered expression of 17‑β‑hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 and its prognostic significance in non‑small cell lung cancer. International journal of oncology 2020 — PMC7170045.
- High Expression of 17β-hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 is Associated with a Better Prognosis in Urothelial Carcinoma of the Urinary Tract. Journal of Cancer 2016 — PMC5166531.
- The Significance of the Sulfatase Pathway for Local Estrogen Formation in Endometrial Cancer. Frontiers in pharmacology 2017 — PMC5481366.
- Endometrial proteomic profile of patients with repeated implantation failure. Frontiers in endocrinology 2023 — PMC10424929.
- PubMed PMID:8099587 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:7546291 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:14702039 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for HSD17B2 (17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2). Expected localisation Cytoplasmic and membranous tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC). Antigen retrieval: Citrate pH 6.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen). Validated IHC antibody: PA1604 at 0.5-1μg/ml (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Duodenum (Endocrine cells); negative Adipose tissue. IHC workflow; specimen preparation unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Tissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet PA1604); verify before use.; 3. Sectioning: 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard); 4. Deparaffinisation: Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard); 5. Antigen retrieval: Heat-induced epitope retrieval in citrate buffer, pH 6.0 , 20 min at 95–98 °C…; 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min , room temperature (standard); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit anti-HSD17B2, 0.5-1μg/ml (datasheet PA1604); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (standard). Watch for: Fixation: Keep fixation consistent across samples (standard IHC practice; not target-specific); Caveat: Signal varies by cell type within intestinal tissue (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: No annotated isoforms; epitope sidedness unspecified (UniProt); Regulation: Stimulus-linked regulation unreported (UniProt). Evidence: UniProt P37059, HPA tissue IHC · Enhanced, HPA ICC-IF · endoplasmic reticulum., Datasheet PA1604, PMC7170045, PMC5166531. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/HSD17B2/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.