Expression of markers shared between human haematopoietic cells and neuroblastoma cells

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a solid tumor of childhood with a relatively bad prognosis, with the exception of young infants (less than 1 year), in whom spontaneous regression of tumor burden occurs. The reasons for this are still unknown but immune mechanisms may be involved. In this study, we have examined the ability of several monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs), which recognize markers predominantly expressed on human haematopoietic cells, to react with four human neuroblastoma cell lines (UKF-NB 1-4) and SK-N-SH as control cell line. In order to define the phenotype of NB cells, we used a large panel of MoAbs consisting of 2 major groups: a) well characterized MoAbs raised against antigens of neuroectodermal origin from the Kemshead-serie (e.g. UJ 13A, UJ 127.II, UJ 167.11, UJ 181.4, UJ 223.8, A2B5), b) monoclonal antibodies which have been considered to react with haematopoietic cells (HLA-DR and anti-CD-molecules CD1, CD7, CD9, CD10, CD13, CD16, CD19, CD20, CD24, CD57). The phenotypic analyses were performed at various times of culture by an immunoenzymatic procedure (APAAP-technique). Most of the MoAbs used against neuroblastoma cells showed a strong reactivity pattern with the NB cell lines. None of the antibodies against T-lymphocytes bound to any of the NB cells assayed in our study, with the exception of anti-CD 1. On the contrary, B-cell markers BA-2 (CD9) and BA-1 (CD24) cross-reacted with the NB cells just as well as the marker for NK-cells (CD57), but they did not express reactivity with Leu-11b (CD16), anti-CALLA (CD10) and anti-HLA-DR.