DETECTION OF BLOOD-GROUP DIFFERENCES IN HUMAN CORNEAL EPITHELIUM USING A MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY AND LECTINS

Objective: To determine if blood group variation in corneal epithelial glycoconjugates can be detected with the use of a monoclonal antibody and sugar-specific lectins. Methods: Monoclonal antibodies were devel oped to isolated corneal epithelial cells using conventional hybridoma techniques. Hybridoma screening and studies of antibody binding to cr yostat sections of human corneas of blood groups A, B, and O were perf ormed with immunofluorescence microscopy. Correlation of lectin bindin g to antibody and blood group binding was done immunohistochemically w ith lectins conjugated to fluorochromes. Results: Monoclonal antibody designated 1B3.29.36 binds to corneal epithelium of humans of blood gr oup A only. The epitope of the antibody appears to be, in part, N-acet ylgalactosamine. The lectins Dolichos blflorus agglutinin (DBA), Griff onia simplicifolia lectin-I isolectin-B-4 (GSI-IB4), and Ulex europeus agglutinin-I (UEA-I) bind to epithelium of subjects with blood groups A, B, and O, respectively, and soybean agglutinin binds to all three groups. Conclusion: Variations in corneal epithelium of subjects with different blood groups can be detected with the use of a monoclonal an tibody and the lectins DBA, GSL-IB4, and UEA-I. Previous reports of le ctin binding to ocular surface epithelium should be reevaluated since they did not take into account blood-group-specific binding.