Mallory bodies in alcoholic liver disease: identification of cytoplasmic filament/cell membrane and unique antigenic determinants by monoclonal antibodies.

Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies have been produced to Mallory body protein (MBP) extracted from isolated Mallory bodies (MBs). The polyclonal antibodies reveal a unique determinant in MBs. The first monoclonal antibody (anti-JMB1) detects a second unique determinant (JMB1) in MBs which is not detectable in normal hepatocytes. The second monoclonal antibody (anti-JMB2) shows that MBs contain another determinant which is associated with the cell and nuclear membranes and a cytoplasmic filament system of normal hepatocytes and bile duct epithelium; this antigen is not detectable in the cell membranes or cytoplasmic filament systems of hepatocytes which contain MBs. The third monoclonal antibody (anti-JMB3) reacts only with an antigen (JMB3) in mesenchymal cells of alcoholic cirrhotic liver and its significance, at this time, is unclear. It is suggested that the metabolism of JMB1, JMB2, and JMB3 antigens is deranged in hepatocytes damaged by alcohol. It is concluded that the antigenic structure of MBs is more complex than hitherto realised and that all of these antigens are distinct from prekeratin (a component of epidermal cell intermediate filaments).