Informative
biomarkers of
tumor progression have been elusive. The interaction between
hyaluronic acid (HA) and its
binding proteins (HABP) plays a pivotal role during
malignancy. In the present study, we have developed a
monoclonal antibody (mAb, termed as H11B2C2 mAb) and showed that this mAb specifically reacts with overexpressed HABP from a wide variety of malignant
tumors as compared with benign
tumors. In Western blot analysis, H11B2C2 mAb detected a major 80-kDa
protein from human
cancer cell lines, and the overexpression of 55-57- and 30-kDa
proteins in malignant
tumors compared with benign
tumors. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analysis of different types of benign and malignant
tumors with different grades showed higher expression of HABP in all the malignant
tumors when compared with the benign
tumors. HABP overexpression was specific to
tumor cells when compared with the surrounding stroma and localized on the cell surface as well as in the intracellular region. The competitive inhibition experiments using HA
polymer and its
oligosaccharides in the Western blot and immunohistopathology experiments suggested that the H11B2C2 mAb-reactive
protein is HABP. Altogether, the present study showed overexpression of the H11B2C2 mAb-reactive HABP in various malignant
tumors as compared with benign
tumors. Thus, H11B2C2 mAb-reactive HABP can be used as a potential
biomarker during
tumor progression.