The Zn-alpha 2-glycoprotein (Zn-alpha 2-GP) is present at a high concentration in the seminal plasma and at significant levels in other human body fluids. Its precise localization, however, has remained unclear, as well as its physiological and pathological significance. The present study reports the immunohistochemical localization of this protein in normal adult human tissues. Localization of the reactive product to anti-human plasma Zn-alpha 2-GP antibody was demonstrated in the following cells: luminal and basal cells of the prostate gland, luminal epithelial cells of the acini and of some ducts of the mammary glands, luminal cells of the secretory portion of the eccrine and apocrine sweat glands, serous cells of the salivary, tracheal, and bronchial glands, acinar cells of the esophageal glands, exocrine acinar cells of the pancreas, hepatocytes of the liver, and epithelial cells of the proximal and distal tubules in the kidney. The present results suggest that Zn-alpha 2-GP exerts some unknown but fairly widespread exocrine function and may be produced in the various epithelial cells tested. Hepatocytes are also suggested to be a source of the protein in the blood plasma.

Sixty-six benign and malignant skin appendage tumors were studied for the expression and localization of the glycoproteins identified by the monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) GCDFP-15, CU18, B72.3, and VU-1D9. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue was processed by the avidin-biotin complex method. In normal eccrine and apocrine sweat glands, GCDFP-15, CU18, B72.3, and VU-1D9 staining was localized differently (intracellular, membranous, or intraluminal), whereas eccrine glands showed no B72.3 staining. There were various patterns of positive staining of tumors arising from sweat glands, but no immunoreactivity for B72.3 was found in eccrine-derived tumors. CU18 and VU-1D9 labeled mature sebocytes in a vacuolar fashion and stained sebaceous carcinomas. VU-1D9 labeled membranes of the secondary germ cells in early anagen of a hair follicle bulb as well as the basaloid cells of trichoepitheliomas and basal cell carcinomas. These MoAbs appear to be valuable markers for the study of normal skin appendages and their tumors.

Adult T cell leukemia was classified into two distinct types, monomorphic and pleomorphic, according to their histological and cytological features.The former type is composed of uniform neoplastic cells with round or slightly indented nuclei without any marked deformation. The latter type, on the other hand, occupies a unique position in lymphocytic leukemias with the following characteristics: a) onset in adulthood, b) an acute and subacute course, c) well-differentiated T cell origin of the neoplastic cells, d) pleomorphism of the neoplstic cells with markedly deformed nuclei, e) difkuse proliferation of the neoplastic cells without nodular pattern, f ) histologically heterogeneous features of lymph nodes frequently admixing a cluster of normal lymphocytes, proliferation of macrophages and dendritic cells, and welldeveloped high endothelium venules, g) high incidence of skin lesions due to the infiltration of neoplastic cells, and h) exclusively limited localization of patients' birth places. ACTA PATH. JAP. 29: 723-138, 1979.

The expression of keratins 8 and 14 was investigated immunohistochemically by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase (ABC) method using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens from 42 tumours of human skin appendages. Results were compared with the staining of 34 specimens from normal skin and skin appendages adjacent to the tumours. Keratin 14 was detected by the monoclonal antibody (mAb) 312C8-1, and was found in the basal cells of the epidermis, the outer root sheaths of hair follicles, and the peripheral cells of sebaceous glands. It was also detected in the inner and outer layers of cells in the ductal portion and the myoepithelial cells in the secretory portion of apocrine and eccrine sweat glands. Keratin 8 was detected by mAb 35BH11, and was present in the secretory cells of eccrine and apocrine sweat glands but not in myoepithelial or ductal cells. The pilosebaceous apparatus and the epidermis were uniformly negative. In benign skin appendage tumours, the staining patterns for both keratins generally resembled their distribution in the corresponding normal tissues. The demonstration of keratins 8 and 14 may be useful in the recognition, classification and diagnosis of skin appendage tumours.