title: Application of monoclonal antibodies against major basic protein (BMK-13) and eosinophil cationic protein (EG1 and EG2) for quantifying eosinophils in bronchial biopsies from atopic asthma.
abstract: A monoclonal antibody prepared against the eosinophil major basis protein (MBP) was compared with the anti-eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) antibodies (EG1 and EG2) in immunostaining of bronchial biopsies from atopic asthma and controls. Anti-MBP (designated BMK-13) did not cross-react with other eosinophil basic proteins (i.e. ECP, eosinophil peroxidase [EPO] or eosinophil-derived neurotoxin [EDN]) and stained more than 98% of peripheral blood eosinophils irrespective of their degree of activation. EG2 stained 15% of resting and 75% of activated eosinophils; EG1 recognized 74% and 78% of resting and activated cells, respectively. The numbers of BMK-13, EG1 or EG2-positive staining cells in bronchial biopsies from asthma were significantly greater than atopic non-asthmatics (P less than 0.02, P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05, respectively) and normal non-atopic controls (P less than 0.001). For each of the various groups studied, the rank order for the number of eosinophils stained was BMK-13 greater than EG1 greater than EG2. BMK-13 stained significantly more cells from bronchial biopsies of atopic asthma and atopic non asthma when compared to EG2 (P less than 0.001 and P less than 0.05, respectively). Since only a proportion of BMK-13+ cells were EG2+, these results suggest that not all tissue eosinophils are actively secreting. Thus, BMK-13 can serve as a useful pan-eosinophil marker in tissue sections since it appears to stain most eosinophils.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, National Heart and Lung Institute, London, U.K.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moqbel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barkans
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Durham
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kay
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D001706:Biopsy; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology*; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D012260:Ribonucleases; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001798:Blood Proteins; D047091:Eosinophil Granule Proteins; D012260:Ribonucleases