Wh. Boehncke et al., DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN IMMUNOACCESSORY AND PHAGOCYTIC MONOCYTES MACROPHAGES OF THE SKIN IN PARAFFIN-EMBEDDED TISSUE BY THE MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY KI-M1P, British journal of dermatology, 129(2), 1993, pp. 124-130
The variety of functions performed by monocytes and macrophages is ref
lected in their phenotypic diversity. Investigation of this complex sy
stem is facilitated by Ki-M1P, a new monoclonal antibody which recogni
zes a differentiation antigen on monocytes/macrophages in paraffin-emb
edded tissues. To test its usefulness as a pan-macrophage marker in th
e skin, we immunohistochemically analysed paraffin-embedded biopsy mat
erial from seven healthy individuals and 190 patients with a variety o
f dermatoses. Immunoreactivity was compared with results obtained with
the antibodies KP-1, MAC-387, UCHL-1 and S-100. In normal skin, epide
rmal Langerhans cells were Ki-M1P-. Strong expression of this marker w
as detected on spindle-shaped as well as dendritic perivascular and in
tervascular macrophages. Pathological reaction forms such as giant cel
ls and epithelioid cells in granulomatous dermatoses were also Ki-M1P. The high specificity of Ki-M1P is reflected in the lack of reactivit
y with tumour cells in non-monocytic neoplasms and Langerhans cell his
tiocytosis. Thus, Ki-M1P is a useful marker for skin macrophages, disc
riminating between the immunoaccessory and the phagocytic compartments
.