A novel human leukocyte differentiation antigen: monoclonal antibody anti-D44 defines a 28 Kd molecule present on immature hematologic cells and a subpopulation of mature T cells.

Anti-D44 is a cytotoxic IgG2b monoclonal antibody (MAb), which reacts with two polypeptides of 28 and 30 Kd from human peripheral T cells after western blotting. The antigen is present in low density on bone marrow cells from the myeloid lineage, probably including most CFU-GM; the antigen is present on megakaryocytes but is not detectable on erythroid cells as well as pre-B and B cells. Growth of BFU-E appears to be partially inhibited after treatment with anti-D44 + complement, an effect that should be due to bone marrow T cells rather than to BFU-E destruction. With maturation, the antigen is barely detectable on mature polymorphonuclear neutrophils, and is not detectable on platelets and monocytes. In contrast, cells from the thymic cortex carry a high density of this molecule; medullary thymocytes carry a low density. Large thymocytes ("thymoblasts") distinct from epithelial or interdigitating cells also bear a high density of the antigen. In the periphery, a subpopulation of T cells displays a high density of D44 molecules. D44 antigenic density is not linked to cell growth or to T cell activation. Double labeling and cell sorting experiments have shown that 40% of E rosette-forming cells are D44(+)-CD4+, 10% are CD8(+)-D44+ and 10% are CD4(-)+CD8-, CD2+. In an accompanying report, correlation is shown between expression of the D44 defined molecule on T cell subpopulations and the function they exert. Immunoperoxidase studies of skin, brain, and kidney tissues, facilitated by the fact that the antigen is resistant to inclusion in Epon, which permits staining of semi-thin sections, have not revealed any positive nonhematologic cell.