title: Production of a mouse monoclonal antibody reactive with a human nuclear antigen associated with cell proliferation.
abstract: The production of a mouse monoclonal antibody, Ki-67, is described. The Ki-67 antibody recognized a nuclear antigen present in proliferating cells, but absent in resting cells. Immunostainings with Ki-67 revealed nuclear reactivity in cells of germinal centres of cortical follicles, cortical thymocytes, neck cells of gastrointestinal mucosa, undifferentiated spermatogonia and cells of a number of human cell lines. The Ki-67 antibody did not react with cells known to be in a resting stage, such as lymphocytes, monocytes, parietal cells and Paneth's cells of gastrointestinal mucosa, hepatocytes, renal cells, mature sperm cells, brain cells, etc. Expression of the antigen recognized by Ki-67 could be induced in peripheral blood lymphocytes after stimulation with phytohaemagglutinin, whereas it disappeared from HL-60 cells stimulated with phorbol esters to differentiate into mature macrophages in a resting stage. These findings suggest that Ki-67 is directed against a nuclear antigen associated with cell proliferation. A first series of immunostainings of tumour biopsies indicated that Ki-67 may be a potent tool for easy and quick evaluation of the proportion of proliferating cells in a tumour.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000276:immunology; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000941:Antigens; D034961:Antigens, Nuclear; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins