Anti-Blood Group A(HE-14)

This antibody is applicable for staining ABO blood group A (monofucosyl and difucosyl A antigens with chain types 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). It also recognizes Forssman antigen. It is also reactive with the immuno-dominant A trisaccharide. The histo-blood group ABO involves three carbohydrate antigens: A, B, and H. Blood group antigens are generally defined as molecules formed by sequential addition of saccharides to the carbohydrate side chains of lipids and proteins detected on erythrocytes and certain epithelial cells. Blood group related antigens represent a group of carbohydrate determinants carried on both glycolipids and glycoproteins. They are usually mucin-type, and are detected on erythrocytes, certain epithelial cells, and in secretions of certain individuals. Sixteen genetically and biosynthetically distinct but inter-related specificities belong to this group of antigens, including A, B, H, Lewis A, Lewis B, Lewis X, Lewis Y, and precursor type 1 chain antigens. Blood group antigen expression in human colon cancer was studied with two monoclonal antibodies of broad anti-A (clone HE-14) and anti-type 3 and type 4 chain-based A and H (clone HE-10) specificity. These antigens were proved to re-appear in tumors of the distal colon, the HE-10 antibody reacting more frequently (9 out of 12 samples) than HE-14 (5 out of 12 samples) and frequently with supra-nuclear staining of the cytoplasm probably in those places of the Golgi apparatus where carbohydrate antigens are synthesized. This staining pattern is characteristic of HE-10 in normal colonic mucosa as well. With HE-14, staining was often absent in less differentiated tumors, while HE-10 did react in such tumors. In some cases, these two antibodies gave different staining patterns in parallel sections from the same tissue sample, primarily at the cellular level. Three out of 12 cases showed blood group antigen expression in the mucosa of the distal colon adjacent to the tumor only when HE-10 Ab was used.This antibody is available purified with BSA/azide at 200 ug/mL, or BSA/azide-free at 1 mg/mL.