The Journal of Cell Biology, Vol 94, 193-200, Copyright © 1982 by The Rockefeller University Press
Reexpression of blood group ABH antigens on the surface of human thyroid cells in culture
EL Khoury
Using indirect immunofluorescence (IFL) on viable human thyroid cultures,
it has been shown that, although adult follicular cells do not express
blood group ABH antigens in vivo, they invariably reexpress the
corresponding antigens on the cell surface when cultured in monolayers,
even for very short periods. The absence of blood group antigens on
noncultured thyroid cells was confirmed by negative IFL on cell suspensions
obtained after enzymatic digestion of the glands, whereas these antigens
were readily demonstrable on cell suspensions obtained by trypsinization of
established monolayers. The quantitative expression of ABH antigens on
individual thyroid cells was variable and the cell-surface IFL pattern due
to binding of blood group isoantibodies was different from that given by
organ-specific thyroid autoantibodies on viable cultures. Reexpression of
blood group antigens by cultured thyroid cells could not be related to the
secretor status of the donors, the presence of a particular source of serum
in the culture medium or cell division in vitro. After 2-3 wk in culture,
thyroid cells became morphologically dedifferentiated and no longer
displayed blood group antigens, though they still expressed cell- surface
beta 2-microglobulin. Fibroblasts present in the primary thyroid cultures
were invariably negative for ABH antigens. These results demonstrate that
the surface antigenic repertoire of cultured human cells is not necessarily
identical to that present on the same cells in vivo. Furthermore, the
possibility that blood group natural isoantibodies bind to the cell surface
must be taken into account in experiments in which cultured thyroid cells
are exposed to human sera.
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