Detection of lung cancer in clinical specimens using a human monoclonal antibody HB4C5-clone 3.

Biopsies of 18 patients with lung cancer and cellular specimens of 21 lung cancer patients were analyzed with human monoclonal antibody HB4C5-clone 3 using avidin-biotin-peroxidase techniques. Analyses with the biopsies showed that HB4C5-clone 3 reacted with 16 of 18 biopsy specimens at a high rate of about 90% and reacted with all specimens of five adenocarcinoma tissues, five of six squamous cell carcinomas, two of three large cell carcinomas, both specimens of small cell carcinomas, and both of the other types of carcinomas. In all the reactive cases, the monoclonal antibody was reactive with greater than 50% of cancer cells. With cellular specimens of lung cancer patients, HB4C5-clone 3 reacted with 7 of 13 adenocarcinoma specimens, two of six squamous cell carcinomas, and one of two small cell carcinomas. The immunoreaction with HB4C5-clone 3 was observed in sites of the cytoplasm of cancer cells. From these data, HB4C5-clone 3 is considered to be of potential use in diagnoses of tissues and cellular specimens of lung cancer.