Expression of organ-specific antigens on capillary endothelial cells.

Our central thesis is that the endothelial cells which line capillaries of various organs are not all alike. Using monoclonal and conventional antibodies we demonstrate that capillary endothelial cells express on their cell surface an array of antigens that manifest organ selectivity. Brain-derived endothelial cells possess brain-associated antigens, ovary-derived endothelial cells share antigenic markers with other ovarian cells, and lung-derived endothelium possesses antigens that are primarily expressed on cells of the lung. Our experiments lead us to suggest that organ-associated determinants on the endothelial cell surface may play a role in the selective adhesion of tumor cells during metastasis, in site-limited vascular pathology, and in the regionally limited release of angiogenesis-induced factors.