Epidermal surface saccharides reactive with phytohemagglutinins and pemphigus antigen

Inorder to study the relationship between epidermal surface saccharides and pemphigus antigen(s), fluorescein-labelled Concanavalin A (Con A) and Phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) were used. These phytohemagglutinins were found to bind with the intercellular areas of human epidermis. Alpha-methyl-D-mannoside and alpha-methyl-D-glucoside inhibited the epidermal intercellular staining pattern produced by ConA-FITC, while N-acetyl-D-galactosamine blocked the same staining pattern produced by PHA-P-FITC. Normal human skin reacted with pemphigus antibody and pemphigus skin with the deposition of IgG both gave a positive intercellular staining pattern with fluorescein labelled phytohemagglutinins. Our data indicated the non-identity of the binding of Con A and PHA-P, and pemphigus antigen(s).