Antigens associated with a human lung adenocarcinoma defined by monoclonal antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies KS1/4, KS1/9, and KS1/17 were developed in this laboratory from a fusion of the murine myeloma cell line P3X63Ag8 with spleens of BALB/c mice previously primed with UCLA P3 cells derived from a human adenocarcinoma of the lung. Monoclonal antibodies KS1/4 and KS1/17 seemed to recognize similar glycoprotein antigens on the lung carcinoma cells by indirect immunoprecipitation and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. However, mapping of [3H]lysine- and [3H]arginine-labeled tryptic peptides of antigens in specific immunoprecipitates of lung carcinoma cells by high-pressure liquid chromatography revealed a one peptide difference. Antibody KS1/9 did not immunoprecipitate any identifiable protein from detergent extracts of the immunizing cell line by routine methods and appears to detect a glycolipid antigen. Immunocytochemical analysis of tissue sections showed this monoclonal antibody to be reactive with adenocarcinomas of the lung and not with the other histological types of lung carcinoma or normal tissue. Monoclonal antibodies KS1/4 and KS1/17, however, reacted with 3 major histological types of lung cancer and minimally with the proximal tubules of normal kidney and the epithelium of bronchioles.