Shigeru Morikawa

IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF CATALASE IN MAMMALIAN TISSUES

The distribution of catalase was investigated in bovine tissues using fluorescent antibody techniques. The immunochemical properties of liver catalase were also examined. Two distinct components of liver catalase in immune system were found. Both of them possessed common antigenicity with erythrocyte catalase. No cross-reactivity was observed by immunodiffusion between catalase and the other hemoproteins such as lactoperoxidase, cytochrome c and hemoglobins. Bovine liver, pancreas, kidney, spleen and peripheral blood were examined. Catalase was located mainly in the cytoplasm of hepatic cells, acinar cells of the pancreas, epithelia of proximal tubuli, splenic cells scattered in the red pulp and some leukocytes. It was not found in any nucleus. Intracorpuscular catalase could be revealed in the erythrocytes treated with surface-active agents but not in frozen sections.

Carcinoembryonic antigen producing cultured cell lines enable detection of autoantibodies in sera from patients with gastrointestinal cancer

Of 16 human malignant tumor cell lines established in our laboratory, seven lines, including three gastric cancer cell lines derived from patients with cancer, were found to carry carcinoembryonic antigen on their cell surface, as determined by radioimmunoassay and indirect immunofluorescence. The existence of antibodies (IgG class) against the gastric cancer cell lines (HPE‐GAC‐T, ‐2, ‐3) and lung cancer cell line (HPL‐Ad‐K) in the sera of patients with gastrointestinal cancer (incidence 70.8%) was demonstrated by indirect immunofluorescence. In nonmalignant cases and healthy controls, the incidence was 7.7 and 3.2%, respectively. Specificity of the antibodies detected in the sera of patients with gastric cancer was examined by absorption and blocking test methods of immunofluorescence. Even though there was an apparent heterogeneity of the specificity among the antibodies, the detection of such antibodies may be a feasible and practical approach to a clinical diagnosis of malignancy. Cancer 50:1775‐1782, 1982.

Immunohistochemical localization of lactoperoxidase in bovine tissues.

Distribution of lactoperoxidase in bovine tissues was investigated by using fluorescent antibody techniques, and immunochemical properties of the enzyme were also examined. As a result of immunodiffusion, two antigenic components were found, but no cross-reactivity between lactoperoxidase and hemoproteins such as catalase, cytochrome c, hemoglobin or ferritin was observed. Lactoperoxidase was found mainly in the cytoplasm of alveolar cells of the mammary gland; in those acinar cells, which were morphologically identical to serous cells, of the sublingual gland; in acinar cells of the lacrimal gland; and also in some peripheral leukocytes and in a small number of splenic cells in the red pulp. Lactoperoxidase in the alveolar and ductal spaces and in some of the ductal epithelia of those glands was observed after ethanol or acidified ethanol fixation but not after formalin fixation. It has been demonstrated by both the present and previous work (Morikawa and Harada (1969)) that lactoperoxidase and liver-catalase were distinguishable in bovine tissues when fluorescent antibody techniques were utilized.

Studies on delayed hypersensitivity in mice. I, Physicochemical and biological properties of preferential antigens for inducing delayed hypersensitivity in mice.

Variously modified protein antigens were tested by footpad assay to clarify the effect of these medications in producing delayed hypersensitivity in mice. The most potent antigen examined was carboxyl‐methylated serum albumins. These antigens were highly basic proteins and hydrophobic compared with native serum proteins. They stimulate humoral antibody response in mice poorly, and remain at the subcutaneous injection site much longer than native serum albumins. In vitro tests of susceptibility of thymus and spleen cells and peritoneal macrophages to the antigens revealed that methylated serum albumins possessed the stimulatory activity to the latter and were toxic to the former. As for macrophage, fluorescein‐labelled methylated serum albumin showed an affinity to their membrane and were phagocytosed, but FITC‐BSA did not show any affinity to the macrophages. These biological activities to tissue or cells may be contributable to render methylated serum albumins to induce and elicit delayed hypersensitivity preferentially in mice.

STUDIES ON CROSS-REACTIVITY OF ANTIRIBONUCLEASE ANTISERA WITH HETEROLOGOUS MAMMALIAN RIBONUCLEASES

The cross-reactivity of antibovine alkaline ribonuclease (RNase) rabbit antiserum or antibovine acid RNase rabbit antiserum with heterologous alkaline or acid RNase was studied immunochemically and immunohistochemically. Immunochemical cross-reactivity was determined quantitatively by the inhibitory effect of antiserum on enzyme activity of appropriate RNase from various sources, human, rat, etc. Antibovine alkaline RNase antiserum strongly inhibited the alkaline RNase activity of human, rabbit, rat, mouse or guinea pig liver. On the other hand, antibovine acid RNase antiserum inhibited the acid RNase activity of human, rat or mouse spleen only moderately. Sections from human, rabbit, rat, mouse or guinea pig pancreas and spleen were stained with either fluorescein-labeled antialkaline RNase or antiacid RNase antibody. Fluorescent staining results confirmed the results of the inhibitory effect, and the patterns were essentially identical with those observed in bovine pancreas or spleen, except in the islets of Langerhans in the rabbit pancreas, in which some substances in the cytoplasm of the α cells were observed to react with either rabbit γ-globulin or guinea pig γ-globulin; this reaction was diminished by the procedure of paraffin embedding.

Teleocidin-Induced Phenotypic Changes in Thymic ALL Cell Line, HPB-ALL

An indole alkaloid, teleocidin, induced phenotypic differentiation in the thymic ALL cell line HPB-ALL. Within 30 min of seeding in the presence of teleocidin, the cells formed a smooth round shape. Upon 5-day exposure to teleocidin, most of the cells became smaller and reminiscent of large or atypical lymphocytes. A thymic antigen stained with monoclonal antibody OKT6 was remarkably reduced while Leu2a-positive cells were increased in the treated cells. Upon teleocidin-induced phenotypic differentiation, the growth rate of cells was inhibited, their ability to incorporate DNA via [3H]-labelled precursors was reduced, their ability to bind sRBC rosettes was increased. These changes were paralleled to that induced by 12-o-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate.

DYSGAMMAGLOBULINEMIA ASSOCIATED WITH AFFECTION OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND APPEARANCE OF ATYPICAL LYMPHOCYTES IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD

An autopsy case of dysgammaglobulinemia associated with affection of the central nervous system in a 61‐year‐old male was reported. Close similarity of the findings to those of the case reported by Bichel et al. was noticed. The abnormal protein observed in this case was proved to belong to IgG by ultracentrifugation, immunoelectrophoresis and fractionation on DEAE‐cellulose column.

GENERALIZED ARTERIAL AND ARTERIOLAR VASCULITIS WITH MARKED PLASMACYTOSIS AND HYPERGAMMAGLOBULINEMIA: REPORT OF AN AUTOPSY CASE†

Since Klemperer proposed the name collagen disease in 1942, a number of diseases under this concept have been reported. But there is much discord regarding the clinicopathological criteria and the pathogenesi~~’~’~’”~’~’~’~). We have had an o p portunity to observe a rare case with generalized arteritis, remarkable hypergammaglobulinemia and plasmacytosis, which was difficult to diagnose as systemic lupus erythematosus or progressive systemic sclerosis.