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Localization of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase in human placenta
A J Janckila1, H Yaziji, S C Lear
1Medicine Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
The Histochemical Journal
|March 1, 1996
Summary
Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) is found in placental cells beyond macrophages. This study identified TRAP in decidual cells and syncytiotrophoblast, expanding knowledge of its expression in placental tissues.
Area of Science:
- Immunohistochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Histochemistry
Background:
- Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) is a marker for cell differentiation and activation, particularly in macrophages and lymphocytes.
- Clinically, TRAP is significant for diagnosing hairy cell leukemia and assessing osteoclast activity.
- Previous research identified TRAP cDNA but lacked certainty regarding the specific cells expressing the enzyme protein in placenta.
Purpose of the Study:
- To utilize the 9C5 monoclonal antibody for immunohistochemical localization of TRAP in paraffin-embedded placental tissues.
- To identify cells expressing TRAP in normal, full-term placenta.
- To investigate whether TRAP-expressing cells in the placenta also express other macrophage markers (CD68, LN5, lysozyme, alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin).
Main Methods:
- Development and application of a monoclonal antibody (9C5) for immunohistochemical detection of TRAP in paraffin sections.
- Comparison of histochemical localization in frozen sections with immunohistochemical localization in paraffin sections.
- Assessment of co-expression of TRAP with macrophage markers CD68, LN5, lysozyme, alpha 1-antitrypsin, and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin.
Main Results:
- TRAP activity and antigenicity were detected in decidual cells, syncytiotrophoblast, and some macrophages in both maternal and embryonic placental tissues.
- TRAP was not detected in neutrophils.
- A significant population of TRAP-positive cells in the placenta were identified as non-macrophage in origin, distinguishing placental findings from other tissues.
Conclusions:
- The 9C5 antibody effectively localizes TRAP in paraffin-embedded placental sections.
- Placenta exhibits TRAP expression in multiple cell types, including decidual cells and syncytiotrophoblast, in addition to macrophages.
- The presence of non-macrophage TRAP-positive cells in the placenta is a novel finding, suggesting broader roles for this enzyme in placental biology.