Lymphoid cells, small cell lung cancer cells and epithelial cells share a membrane determinant which effects cell proliferation.

Two monoclonal antibodies (mAb) 1D1 and 2A6 were obtained from a fusion following hyperimmunization with prolymphocytic leukaemia (PLL) B cells. These mAb stain a minority of B- and T-cell leukaemias and approximately 20% of peripheral blood and tonsil T and B cells, activated with a variety of mitogens. Interestingly, all small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and bladder carcinoma lines examined were also stained by both mAb. On sections of normal and malignant tissue 1D1 and 2A6 show strong but distinct reactivity with epithelium, and in the case of ID1 staining is also present on endothelial tissue. The addition of purified 1D1 and 2A6 to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (B-LCL) and SCLC lines caused a significant increase in the rate of proliferation of these cells. Capping experiments have suggested that these two mAb, despite showing significantly different staining profiles, probably recognize distinct epitopes of the same surface molecule. These studies confirm that a lymphoid-cell associated antigen(s) detected by mAbs 1D1 and 2A6 is expressed on a wide range of normal and malignant cells and related cell lines.