Tissue distribution of a melanoma-associated antigen immunogenic in patients with melanoma as analyzed by polyclonal antibodies to recombinant peptide antigen.
This study aimed to detect in vivo expression of human melanoma-associated antigen D-1, which was identified by screening an expression cDNA library constructed from mRNA extracted from cultured melanoma cells with sera from patients with melanoma. The tissue distribution of D-1 antigen was then analyzed. Murine anti-D-1 recombinant peptide polyclonal antibodies were raised by immunization of in vitro synthesized D-1 peptide against Balb/c mice and applied immunohistochemically on paraffin-embedded tissue specimens. D-1 antigen was found to be restrictedly expressed on melanoma cells, but not on normal melanocytes, adjacent keratinocytes, fibroblasts, lymphocytes and adnexal structures of skin. The reactivities of anti-D-1 antibodies did not correlate with histogenesis of the lesions, their ability to produce melanin, and/or their primary or metastatic nature. There was no positive reactivity of anti-D-1 antibodies with other skin tumors, including squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell epithelioma, seborrheic keratosis, and nevus cell nevus. Further, cytoplasmic expression of D-1 antigen in melanoma cells was observed only in a certain subgroup of patients with melanoma. This indicates that the cell surface expression of D-1 peptide requires specific transporting proteins, such as HLA molecules.
Kako
S
S
Department of Dermatology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Japan.
Hayashibe
K
K
Ichihashi
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology*; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins