Monoclonal antibodies to collagens for immunofluorescent examination of human skin.

Monoclonal antibodies, specific for each of human types I, III, IV and V collagens, were produced and shown to be suitable for immunofluorescent studies of human skin. The antibodies showed that types I and III collagens were abundant and distributed throughout the dermis. The distribution of type III collagen appeared different in the papillary compared with the reticular dermis, although an increased concentration of type III collagen in the papillary dermis could not be unambiguously established. Type V collagen, which could be visualised only after acid-pretreatment of sections, was also distributed throughout the dermis, but appeared to be in higher concentrations around cells. Type IV collagen was observed specifically in the basement membrane associated with the dermal/epidermal junction.