A monoclonal antibody to human transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: production and characterization.

In order to detect bladder tumor specific antigens, monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to human transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (TCCB) were obtained. Hybridomas were cloned after being prepared by cell fusion between mouse myeloma cell line X63Ag 8.653 and the spleen cells of BALB/c mice hyperimmune to the bladder cancer cells (grade 2) from a patient. Subsequently 12 MoAb-producing clones were obtained for the panel screening by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and three MoAbs (no. 10, 11 and 14) were selected for reactivity to bladder cancer cells from patients, including normal epithelia. Finally No. 10 was selected as the most appropriate MoAb for this study and determined IgM with kappa-light chains by EIA. We accurately tested MoAb No. 10's reactivity with 71 malignant tumors by immunoperoxidase staining (IIP). No. 10 reacted to most TCCB cells (36/43), but did not react to any of the other tissues, including five normal epithelia, two brain tumors and three sarcomas. It was also shown by both IIP and immunofluorescent staining (IIF) that No. 10's reactivity was limited to the cancer cell membrane. These results suggest that the antigen recognized by MoAb No. 10 is one of the tumor-associated antigens and that some heterogeneity exists in its distribution.