Occurrence of protein SAA-like material in human endothelial cells in culture and smooth-muscle cells in vessel walls.

In the present study human endothelial cells were isolated from the veins of umbilical cord by collagenase treatment and kept in primary culture. Antiserum with monospecific activity against protein SAA was used in an indirect immunofluorescence study. SAA-like material was shown to be present in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells that were grown on glass discs and formed a typical uniform monolayer. It was oriented in a cytoplasmic filament pattern. SAA-like material was also demonstrated in the cytoplasm of smooth-muscle cells in vessel walls in cryostat sections from placenta and umbilical cord.