Use of monoclonal antibodies in formol-paraffin sections. A study of normal and neoplastic haemopoietic tissues.

Thirteen monoclonal antibodies (the "VI-series") reactive with B- and T-lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes and erythrocytes were tested in sections fixed with formalin, formalin-sublimate or formalin-acetic acid. After fixation and embedding, most of the antigens were not detectable. However, VIE-G 4, a monoclonal antibody selective for glycophorin A, produced a strong reaction with erythroid cells in formalin fixed sections. The binding of the monoclonal antibodies VIM-D 5, VIM-2 and VIM-13 to myeloid, myelomonocytic and monocytic cells became either more intense or was inhibited by preincubation of the sections with pronase, trypsin, papain or neuraminidase. Following enzyme digestion, the monocyte-specific antibody VIM-13 reacted selectively with some of the germinal centre cells.