Immunologic markers of human bronchial epithelial cells in tissue sections and in culture. JNCI 62:1177–1185

ABSTRACT-Immunologic markers of normal human bronchial epithelial cells In vivo and In vitro were Investigated. When paraffin-embedded sections of normal human bronchi were stained with antisera to blood groups A, B, or H or antl-H lectin with the use of Immunoperoxldase or Immunofluorescence tech-niques, only 2 of 14 specimens were weakly stained with antisera to blood group A and 1 specimen with both antisera to blood groups A and B; the other specimens were not stained. How-ever, If, before staining, the specimens were treated with 0.1% trypsin for 2 hours at 37 ° C, all specimens were stained with antisera specific for blood types A and Band 3 of 4 blood type H specimens stained positively with antl-H lectin from Ulex euro-paeus. Positive staining reactions were observed In both surface bronchial epithelium and glandular epithelium. The stromal fibro-blasts were not stained. Primary cell cultures of human bronchu