Immunochemical Staining With Fluorescein-Labeled Antibodies as an Aid in the Study of Skin Cancer Formation

Summary

With fluorescein-labeled antibody as an immunochemical stain, differences have been demonstrated between the antigenic composition of mouse epidermis (normal, undergoing normal growth changes induced by the hair growth cycle, and hyperplastic, undergoing abnormal growth changes produced by the topical application of methylcholanthrene) and carcinogen-induced squamous cell carcinomas. Antisera against epidermis obtained 4, 12, and 22 days after the hair was plucked, early and late hyperplastic epidermis, and highly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas were used. After absorption of each of these antisera with the sediments of normal guinea pig liver, mouse lung, and kidney tissue, each antiserum strongly stained all of the tissues employed for antisera production. When the various antisera were absorbed with the sediments of the normal tissues and highly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas, only the squamous cell carcinoma antisera did not stain all the tissues. Therefore, normal and hyperplastic epidermis appear to have antigens that are not present in the carcinomas. When the various antisera were absorbed with the sediments of the normal tissues and epidermis, only the squamous cell carcinoma antisera stained the various tissues. Squamous cell carcinomas apparently contain antigens that are not present in the epidermis. The absorption of the antisera of epidermis and carcinoma with sediments of epidermis and of carcinoma, respectively, removed the antigens responsible for the fluorescence and thus proved specificity of the staining reactions.