Immunohistochemical detection of heterophile Hanganutziu-Deicher antigen in human malignant melanoma

The Hanganutziu-Deicher (HD) antigen is a heterophile antigen whose immunodominant molecule is N-glycolylneuraminic acid, a sialic acid that cannot be found in normal tissues of either humans or chickens. Using biotinylated chicken anti-HD antibody purified with affinity chromatography, expression of HD antigen was immunohistochemically investigated in formalin-fixed tissues of human malignant melanoma. HD antigen-positive melanoma cells were clearly demonstrated in 7 of 11 lesions of malignant melanoma. No HD antigen-positive cells were found in 8 lesions of melanocytic nevus, and no components of normal human skin including epidermal melanocytes were stained with the antibody. This study is the first that immunohistochemically demonstrates HD antigen in tissue sections of human malignant melanoma. The expression of the HD antigen in transformed human melanocytes may have great immunological significance because the antigen is absent from normal human tissues and is immunogenic in humans.