Haemopoiesis in human fetal and embryonic liver. Immunohistochemical determination in B5-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues.

Paraffin embedded tissue reactive monoclonal antibodies were used to study human embryonal and fetal haemopoiesis, combining optimal morphology with immunohistological determination of haemopoietic cell subtypes and their microenvironment. Seven embryonal and twelve fetal liver specimens were studied, having been fixed in B5-fixative and embedded in paraffin. The different haemopoietic lineages each showed their own immunophenotype and distribution; intercellular and microenvironmental relationships were easily determined. Erythroid cells are reactive with VIE-G4, LN1, and MT1, sometimes partly surrounding a central macrophage. Myelomonocytic cells react with LCA, MT1, MB3, LN2, and anti-lysozyme, and from 14 weeks onwards with LN3. Lymphoid cells show LCA, MT1, MT2, MB1, MB2, MB3, and LN2 reactivity. In a few cases some scarce My10+ early progenitor cells were seen. An important finding is the extensive MT1-reactivity distributed over all haemopoietic lineages, and the demonstration of immature haemopoietic blast cells exclusively expressing the MT1 antigen. Further studies employing MT1 are necessary to delineate the extent of the distribution and the possible function of the antigen. Use of the MT1 mAb may contribute to the elucidation of the exact nature of the haemopoietic blast cells and their place in haemopoietic development.