Epithelial membrane antigen as a marker of human salivary gland acinar and ductal cell function.

Monoclonal antibody to epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) from human milk fat globule membrane was used with the immunoperoxidase method to examine the distribution of EMA in normal human salivary glands and in their obstructive lesions. EMA staining in the normal salivary gland was limited to luminal and lateral borders of acinar cells. The antigen was also present in high concentration on the luminal side of ductal cells. In obstructive lesions or sialoadenitis, lateral border and luminal positive staining in atrophic acinar cells was reduced or absent, and the EMA staining in duct-like structures was also markedly decreased on even absent in chronic stage. The degree of reduction in EMA staining was dependent on the extent of degeneration. Expression of immunohistochemically detectable EMA in paraffin sections suggests the antigen to be useful as a new marker of salivary gland function, of either acinar compartments or ductal segments.