Immunologic Markers of Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells in Tissue Sections and in Culture2

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Abstract
Immunologic markers of normal human bronchial epithelial cells in vivo and in vitro were investigated. When paraffin-embedded sections of normal human bronchi were stained with antisera to blood groups A, B, or H or anti-H lectin with the use of immunoperoxldase or immunofluorescence techniques, only 2 of 14 specimens were weakly stained with antisera to blood group A and 1 specimen with both antisera to blood groups A and B; the other specimens were not stained. However, if, before staining, the specimens were treated with 0.1% trypsin for 2 hours at 37° C, all specimens were stained with antisera specific for blood typesA and Band 3 of 4 blood type H specimens stained positively with anti-H lectin from Ulex europaeus. Positive staining reactions were observed in both surface bronchial epithelium and glandular epithelium. The stromal fibroblasts were not stained. Primary cell cultures of human bronchus were composed of epithelial cells and fibroblasts. The epithelial cells were stained with the blood type-specific antisera, and fibroblasts were not stained. Tumor-associated antigens, such as carclnoembryonlcantigen, a-fetoproteln, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and human chorionic gonadotropin, were all negative in both frozen sections and paraffin-embedded sections of normal human bronchi and in primary cultures of human bronchial epithelial cells. Only carclnoembryonlc antigen was weakly positive on the luminal surface of bronchial epithelium in both frozen sections and in paraffin-embedded sections after trypsin digestion. These results indicate that blood group antigens are good markers of normal human bronchial epithelial cells and that the loss of blood group antigens and the acquisition of tumorassociated antigens might be indicative of carcinogen-Induced transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells.