Immunohistochemical study of blood group activities in the alimentary canal in normal and pathologic conditions with reference to the nature of epithelial mucopolysaccharides

Immunohistochemical study on the localization of the epitope defined by a human saliva-specific mouse monoclonal antibody (P4-5C)

A novel mouse monoclonal antibody (P4-5C) has been developed which recognizes the core portion of the protein carrying ABO(H) blood group antigens in human saliva. This proved to be specific for human saliva using immunochemical investigations such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Ouchterlony method and counter-immunoelectrophoresis. By light and electron microscope studies with immunohistochemical techniques using this human saliva-specific P4-5C as primary antibody, it was shown that P4-5C reacted specifically and exclusively with mucus from the mucous gland cells of human salivary glands. P4-5C reacted neither with the mucous gland cells of other primates (hamadryas baboon, Japanese monkey and Rhesus monkey) and four mammals (dog, cat, rabbit and mouse) nor with other human tissues. The epitope on the core portion of the ABO(H)-carrying protein was defined by P4-5C and could be discriminated from the epitope of ABO(H) blood group antigens using immunoelectronmicroscopy, although these 2 epitopes were localized relatively close to each other. The P4-5C monoclonal antibody can be also used for morphological species identification of tissue specimens from submandibular glands.

Distribution of A and B antigens in organs of blood group AB individuals: observations disclosed by a double immunoenzymatic labeling method

The localization of A and B antigens in the organs of blood group AB individuals has been studied using a double immunoenzymatic labeling method. Both A and B antigens were found in the various epithelial cells of these organs, but the epithelial cells could be classified into the following four types depending on the reaction pattern with anti-A and anti-B sera: type 1: cells that stained positive with both anti-A and anti-B sera; type 2: cells that stained positive with anti-A serum only; type 3: cells that stained positive with anti-B serum only; type 4: cells that were negative with both sera. The distribution of each of these epithelial cell types varied considerably, even in the same tissue and individual. Our results seem to suggest that a dissociation in the conversion to the A and B antigens occurs in the tissue of individuals belonging to blood group AB and that the degree of this dissociation varies from tissue to tissue and from cell to cell.