Ber-EP4: new monoclonal antibody which distinguishes epithelia from mesothelial.
A new monoclonal antibody, Ber-EP4, directed against a partially formol resistant epitope on the protein moiety of two 34 kilodalton and 39 kilodalton glycopolypeptides on human epithelial cells is described. Immunostaining of a wide range of normal and neoplastic human tissues and cell lines showed that all carcinomas and all non-neoplastic epithelial cells, except hepatocytes, parietal cells, and apical cell layers in squamous epithelia, homogeneously expressed Ber-EP4 antigen. As Ber-EP4 does not detect any normal or neoplastic non-epithelial cells, this antibody might prove valuable for the differentiation of the following (i) non-epithelial tumours from undifferentiated carcinomas; (ii) hepatocytes from bile duct cells in certain liver diseases; (iii) mesothelial cells from carcinoma cells in lung biopsy specimens; and (iv) reactive mesothelial cells from carcinoma cells in smears of serous effusions.
Department of Pathology, Klinikum Steglitz, Free University Berlin, West Germany.
U
U
Latza
G
G
Niedobitek
R
R
Schwarting
H
H
Nekarda
H
H
Stein
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002460:Cell Line; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000954:Antigens, Surface; C117805:Ber-EP4 monoclonal antibody