[Monoclonal antibody against human primary hepatocellular carcinoma and immunocytochemical localization of the corresponding antigen].

A monoclonal antibody HAB5 was raised against human hepatocellular carcinoma. The reactivity of HAB5 was determined immuno-histologically on paraffin sections by ABC technique. Positive reaction was seen in 88% of 50 cases of hepatoma examined, including 2 cases of spindle-cell hepatoma. Positive reaction was also seen in 16% squamous-cell carcinoma and 25% transitional cell carcinoma. The monoclonal antibody did not react with metastatic adenocarcinoma of liver in 7 cases. The antigen to which HAB5 directed was a membrane glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 68 KDa.