The interaction of Kaposi's sarcoma with monoclonal antibodies to human sarcoma and connective tissue differentiation antigens

Four monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) previously generated against human soft tissue sarcomas and reacting with connective tissue differentiation antigens were evaluated for their interaction with tissues obtained from patients with classic Kaposi's sarcoma. Biopsy was performed on active neoplastic lesions from the skin of 26 patients, frozen sections were prepared, and the binding of the McAbs was tested using the indirect immunofluorescence assay. Clinically uninvolved skin from the same patients as well as skin and muscle from eight non-cancer patients were treated similarly and served as controls. McAbs IXG11, 23H7, IIIE5, and 15G5 interacted strongly with the Kaposi's sarcoma lesions and weakly with the uninvolved skin in 22 of 26 (84%), 23 of 26 (88%), 12 of 14 (85%), and 1 of 6 (16%) of the patients, respectively. IXG11, 23H7, and IIIE5 interacted weakly with the skin of seven of eight non-cancer patients. McAb 15G5 was found to bind strongly to tumor lesions, to the respective uninvolved skin in four of five Kaposi's sarcoma patients, and also to skin and connective tissues of muscle from non-cancer patients. The mode of interaction was morphologically different for each McAb. It is suggested that McAbs IXG11, 23H7 and IIIE5 identify markers whose expression is markedly increased in Kaposi's sarcoma lesions as compared with uninvolved skin of the same patients. These markers may serve as immunologic probes for the investigation of this neoplastic process.