REACTIVITY OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY F36/22 WITH HUMAN OVARIAN ADENOCARCINOMAS

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 44  (5) , 1954-1962
Abstract
Monoclonal antibody F36/22 recognizes high MW glycoprotein components associated with neoplastic development of the ovary. Indirect immunoperoxidase staining techniques were performed on a panel of nonmalignant ovarian tissues, primary ovarian tumors, exfoliated ascitic tumor cells and metastatic lesions. Normal ovarian tissue components (n = 20) failed to exhibit detectable levels of antigen, whereas benign ovarian tissues show a low incidence of immunostaining (3 of 26) restricted to some ductal elements. Of the immunopositive primary malignant tumors, 100% (19 of 19) were histologically classified as adenocarcinomas. Each of the predominant adenocarcinoma histotypes consistently showed expression of the antigen with 30-100% of the tumor cells scored as immunopositive. Ascitic tumor cells obtained from all of the ovarian adenocarcinoma patients examined (47 of 47) displayed immunopositive reactions, whereas normal mesothelial cells in these specimens exhibited undetectable staining. Ovarian adenocarcinoma metastases (12 of 12) exhibited very intense immunoreaction products. No detectable antigen was expressed by nonadenocarcinoma ovarian tumor cells.