Preparation and use in immunohistology of antibodies specific for type I and type III collagen and procollagen.

Antibodies to bovine type I and type III collagen and their precursor form procollagen were produced in rabbits and rendered specific for the immunizing antigen by immunoadsorption. These purified antibodies showed distinct immunofluorescence staining on frozen sections of both bovine and human connective tissue at concentrations as low as 1-10 mug/ml. Antibodies to type III collagen and procollagen reacted with reticulin in liver and spleen, with fascicles around tendons and with the upper portion of the dermis. Antibodies to type I collagen and procollagen reacted with skin and fiber bundles in tendon but did not stain reticulin. No reaction was observed with cartilage collagen or with kidney glomerular basement membrane.