Immunoreactivity of six monoclonal antibodies directed against 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D-3 receptors in human skin

Using confocal laser scanning microscopy, we tested the suitability of five monoclonal mouse antibodies (IVA7E7, IVB12G12, IVG9C11, VD2F12, and VIIID8 C12) that had been raised against different domains of the porcine intestin al 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D-3 receptor (VDR), for the immunohistological det ection of VDR in human skin. The VDR immunoreactivity of these antibodies w as compared with the well-characterized VDR-staining pattern of the mouse m onoclonal antibody 9A7 gamma raised against chick intestinal VDR. All six a ntibodies revealed strong nuclear and qualitatively similar immunoreactivit y in all cell layers of the viable epidermis. Our data demonstrate that the five mouse monoclonal antibodies are suitable for immunohistochemical dete ction of VDR in frozen sections. These antibodies show comparable staining patterns in human skin even though they had been raised against different f unctional domains of the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D-3 receptor.