Wb. Tuijnman et al., TISSUE DISTRIBUTION OF HUMAN-IGG FC-RECEPTORS CD16, CD32 AND CD64 - AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY, APMIS. Acta pathologica, microbiologica et immunologica Scandinavica, 101(4), 1993, pp. 319-329
The tissue distribution of human IgG Fc receptors (FcgammaRs) classifi
ed in three clusters of differentiation (CD16, using 5 antibodies, CD3
2, using 2 antibodies; and CD64, using 3 antibodies) was evaluated by
immunohistochemistry on lymphoid (lymph node, spleen, thymus, tonsil)
and non-lymphoid (heart, jejunum, kidney, liver, lung, muscle, stomach
, and skin) tissues. Macrophage-like cells, including Kupffer cells, e
xpressed all three classes of FcgammaR. Part of the cells coexpressed
HLA-DR. Interdigitating dendritic cells that were present in high dens
ity in interfollicular areas of a lymph node showing dermatopathic lym
phadenopathy were immunoreactive for CD32, but not for CD16 or CD64 an
tibodies. In lymphoid tissue, mantle zones of secondary follicles were
labelled by CD32 and some CD16 antibodies. The immunolabelling of man
tle zones was not present after washing the sections at low pH, which
suggests that the molecules detected were passively absorbed on the ce
ll surface (i.e. soluble FcgammaR). The immunolabelling of tonsil sect
ions by various CD16 antibodies showed three patterns. The first (anti
-Leu-11b) revealed labelling of solitary macrophage-like cells. The se
cond (BW209/2 and 3G8) revealed, in addition, labelling of germinal ce
ntres. The third (CLBgran1 and CLBgran 11) revealed labelling of solit
ary cells and follicle mantles. This labelling on tissue sections was
also seen in the analysis of follicular dendritic cells isolated from
tonsil. The cells were faintly immunoreactive for 3G8, as well as for
CD16 mAb CLBgran1, and both CD32 mAbs. In all tissues investigated the
re was immunoreactivity for FcgammaRs in varying intensity on endothel
ial cells of blood vessels.