Localization of intracellular monoclonal antibody specific for mycobacteria in experimentally induced pulmonary tuberculous lesion.
To determine the intracellular localization of intravenously injected infection-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in the infected cells, immunohistochemical staining was carried out in an animal model having pulmonary tuberculous lesions induced by inoculation of heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. One milligram of intact mouse mAb against mycobacteria (group I, n = 10) and F(ab')2 (group II, n = 6) was intravenously injected to the rabbits of each group. Immunohistochemical staining using an antimouse Ab was performed at days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8 in group I and at days 1, 2 and 3 in group II by the streptavidin-biotin method. For the control study, 1 ml of nonspecific polyclonal human IgG (group III, n = 10) and 100 micrograms of normal rabbit IgG F(ab')2 (group IV, n = 6) was injected to rabbits and guinea pigs having tuberculous inflammation, respectively. Both groups (group I and II) showed a positive antigen (Ag)-Ab reaction within the cytoplasm of monocytes. A weak but positive reaction was observed intracellularly in group III; however, no positive reaction was seen in group IV. Our results suggest that an intracellular Ag-Ab reaction plays an important role in the localization of infection by immunoscintigraphy using specific mAb fragments.
Lee
J D
JD
Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
D S
DS
Shin
J S
JS
Cho
S N
SN
Kim
S J
SJ
Shin
D H
DH
Chung
S H
SH
Lee
J T
JT
Park
C Y
CY
Kim
S M
SM
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits; D016719:Radioimmunodetection; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal