Monoclonal antibody against human macrophages/monocytes and granulocytes

A monoclonal antibody of the IgG2a isotype directed against lymphokine-activated human macrophage cell line (U937) was produced and characterized. By indirect immunofluorescence microscopy or binding assay, this antibody (MaG-1) reacted with human peripheral monocytes, peritoneal macrophages, alveolar macrophages, and peripheral granulocytes but not with lymphocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets. MaG-1 antigen was also expressed by 34% of bone-marrow cells which includes monocytic and granulocytic precursors, whereas lymphoid and erythroid precursor cells were found on MaG-1 negative population. Immunoprecipitation of 125I-labeled U937 cell extract with the Mag-1 antibody under nonreducing and reducing conditions yielded a specific band of 66 kD. Thus, this antibody defines a new human macrophage/monocyte and granulocyte-specific antigen and may be useful for studying differentiation of human macrophages/monocytes.