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VS38: a new monoclonal antibody for detecting plasma cell differentiation in routine sections
1University Department of Cellular Science, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford.
Insights
A new monoclonal antibody, VS38, effectively identifies plasma cells in normal and cancerous tissues, aiding in the diagnosis of myeloma and lymphoma. This diagnostic tool shows promise for routine pathological practice.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pathology
- Oncology
Background:
- Plasma cells are crucial in humoral immunity and can undergo neoplastic transformation, leading to conditions like multiple myeloma.
- Accurate identification of plasma cells and related neoplasms is essential for diagnosis and treatment planning.
- Monoclonal antibodies are valuable tools in immunohistochemistry for precise cellular and tissue characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the novel mouse monoclonal antibody VS38.
- To determine the diagnostic utility of VS38 as a reagent in routine pathology.
- To assess VS38's ability to identify normal and neoplastic plasma cells.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical staining of frozen and routinely fixed tissue sections.
- Microwave-based antigen retrieval for fixed specimens.
- Western blot analysis for antigen molecular weight determination.
- Flow cytometry (FACS) analysis for cellular antigen location and expression.
Main Results:
- VS38 specifically recognized intracytoplasmic antigen in normal and neoplastic plasma cells across various tissues.
- The antibody demonstrated efficacy on routinely fixed plasma cell neoplasms.
- Weak staining of epithelial elements was observed, with absence from other hematopoietic cell lineages.
Conclusions:
- Antibody VS38 holds significant potential for diagnosing myeloma and plasmacytoma in bone marrow and other tissues.
- VS38 can differentiate lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma from lymphocytic and follicular lymphoma.
- The antibody aids in subdividing large cell lymphomas, potentially offering a more reliable classification than morphology alone.
Aims:
To characterise a new mouse monoclonal antibody, VS38, which recognises an intracytoplasmic antigen of 64 kilodaltons present in normal and neoplastic plasma cells; and to establish its value as a diagnostic reagent for routine pathological practice.
Methods:
A range of normal and neoplastic tissue sections, both frozen and routinely fixed, were immunostained, using the microwave method of antigen retrieval for routinely fixed specimens. The antibody was also tested on blood and bone marrow specimens and a range of human cell lines. The molecular weight of the antigen recognised by the antibody was obtained by western blot analysis. FACS analysis was used to demonstrate the cellular location of the antigen and its presence on tonsil cell suspensions and myeloma cases.
Results:
VS38 recognised normal and neoplastic plasma cells in all of the tissues, including all routinely fixed plasma cell neoplasms tested. The antibody also weakly stained epithelial elements within the tissue but was absent from haemopoietic cells of other lineages.
Conclusion:
Antibody VS38 is of potential value in identifying myeloma or plasmacytoma in bone marrow or other tissues. It differentiates lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma from lymphocytic and follicular lymphoma. It also subdivides large cell lymphomas into two groups which may be a more reliable method of separating these tumours than morphology alone.
