Specific monoclonal antibodies raised against human intestinal and human tissue-unspecific alkaline phosphatase (AP) were developed and were used to study the expression of these two isoenzymes in human renal tissue and their release into urine. Approximately 25% of the total AP content of renal tissue at the transition between cortex and medulla was of the intestinal type; the remainder was of the tissue-unspecific type (liver, bone, kidney AP). Immunoperoxidase staining using specific monoclonal antibodies against liver and intestinal AP revealed that the tissue-unspecific AP isoenzyme is present through-out the different segments of the proximal tubule, whereas intestinal-type AP is found exclusively in tubuloepithelial cells of the S3-segment of the proximal tubule. The intestinal-type enzyme obtained from the kidney had a similar heat stability and Km value, and similar immunologic and inhibitory (L-p-bromotetramisole; L-phenylalanine) characteristics compared to adult intestinal and fetal intestinal AP. Its electrophoretic mobility in agarose gel was intermediate between that of adult intestinal and fetal intestinal AP; after neuraminidase treatment it became indistinguishable from the adult intestinal isoenzyme. The intestinal-type AP found in the urine was not sensitive to neuraminidase and had a molecular weight significantly lower than the urinary tissue-unspecific AP isoenzyme. In conclusion, intestinal AP in the kidney is a specific marker for the brush border of the S3 segment of the proximal tubule, and this finding opens new perspectives in the cell biology of this particular part of the nephron.

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Placental alkaline phosphatase (placental ALP, PLAP) and germ-cell ALP (GCAP, also known as placental-like ALP), expressed in gonadal cancer tissues, are potential tumor markers. Four monoclonal antibodies, raised against PLAP and recognizing different epitopes, were selected to study the influence of the following variables on the accuracy of PLAP and GCAP measurement: phenotype, molecular form, and glycation pattern of PLAP and GCAP; incubation temperature; and interferences by serum during immunobinding. Nine GCAP phenotypes were identified, interacting with each antibody at a lower affinity than was seen for the more common PLAP phenotypes. Antibody affinity is higher for the free hydrophilic dimeric forms of PLAP and GCAP, and is not influenced by the degree of glycation. In serum or tissue extracts, measurement of PLAP or GCAP is most nearly accurate when immunoincubations are performed at 37 degrees C, with use of antibodies 327 and 7E8, respectively. In addition, correct measurements are achieved only when, during immunobinding, serum is incubated with an equal volume of deoxycholate (9 g/L final concentration).

Immunotargeting of PLAP-expressing tumours was studied for two radioiodinated, highly specific anti-PLAP monoclonal antibodies, 7E8 and 17E3, differing 10-fold in affinity, as well as for 7E8 F(ab')2 fragments. An anti-CEA monoclonal antibody or anti-CD3 F(ab')2 fragments were used as controls. Specific and non-specific targeting was examined in nude mice simultaneously grafted with PLAP-positive tumours derived from MO4 1-4 cells, and CEA-positive tumours, derived from 5583-S cells. Results indicated that (1) MO4 1-4 tumours, with a stable expression of PLAP on the plasma membrane, represent a useful new in vivo model for immunodirected tumour targeting; (2) differences in antibody affinity for PLAP in vitro are not reflected in antibody avidity for tumour cells in vivo; and (3) excellent selective and specific localisation of the PLAP-positive tumours is achieved when 7E8 F(ab')2 fragments are used. The high tumour/blood ratios (10.7 +/- 3.9 at 46 h after injection) were due to a much faster blood clearance of 7E8 F(ab')2 fragments. At this time point, the mean tumour/non-tumour tissue ratio was as high as 34.5, and the mean specific localisation index was 29.0. As expected, the F(ab')2 fragments provided high tumour imaging efficiency on gamma camera recording. These data imply important potentials of the PLAP/anti-PLAP system for immunolocalisation and therapy in patients, but also emphasise that in vitro criteria alone are not reflected in in vivo tumour localisation capacities of antibodies. Images Figure 1 Figure 3 Figure 4