CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES RAISED AGAINST FORMALIN-FIXED, PARAFFIN-EMBEDDED HUMAN AMELOBLASTOMA

To obtain monoclonal antibodies reactive with odontogenic but not othe r types of epithelium, mice were immunized with homogenates of fixed a meloblastoma tissues, and monoclonal antibodies Y4 and M11 were produc ed. Y4 reacted immunohistochemically with odontogenic epithelial compo nents but not with those of squamous differentiation, while M11 reacte d with odontogenic epithelial components and a part of keratotic epith elial tissues. Immunoglobulin isotypes of both antibodies were IgM as determined by Ouchterlony immunodiffusion and enzyme-linked immunosorb ent assays, Western blotting revealed that the antigen recognized by Y 4 had a molecular mass of approximately 66 kDa; however, the antigen r eactive with M11 was not identified by Western blotting in spite of va rious attempts in changing reaction conditions. These antibodies may b e beneficial to histological analyses of odontogenic tissues and their related lesions.